Working Moms and Saying No

If you are like most moms who run their own business, you have trouble saying “NO!” Working moms and saying no can be almost an oxymoron. There are often people demanding or asking things of you all of the time. Whether it is the office that needs something, the PTA, your children, your husband or your friends, you are in demand! And like many other moms, you might have trouble saying no to those demands.

The most important thing to remember is that your time is extremely valuable, and when you run your own business as well as being a mom, you don’t have a lot of extra time. If you’re like me, it’s difficult to say no because we always want to be available for everything and everything for everyone. For example, perhaps your child’s school has asked you to volunteer during a field trip and you feel bad that you haven’t been on a field trip with your child lately. You are more likely to have trouble saying no, despite your demanding workload.

Are you in control of your time, or is time in control of you? Proper planning and allotting a certain amount of time for your business, children, love life, exercise, rest, etc. is the only way to stay sane and stay on track. By staying firm with yourself and your own schedule, your children will understand why you can’t take them on every single field trip available. Not only will you fulfill your own goals by maintaining and sticking to a strict schedule in line with your goals, but you will also teach your children valuable lessons about time management, preventing those sleepless nights of procrastinated reports and papers in high school and college!
It’s not always that easy when it comes to saying no। You have to set clear boundaries for yourself and stick by them. There is only so much that can be expected of you, and you need to be clear about how much you can handle before burning out. As working moms, we think we can handle it all, but life is a balancing act, and it is essential to your family and your business that you define your priorities clearly and learn to say no when something does not fulfill your end goals.

Author: Cheri Alguire