The Joy of Holidays as a Working Mom (#MLKDay)

Toddler being silly on MLK Day

One of my favorite parts of being a working mom are paid holidays! In some ways, holidays are actually an even better benefit than “Paid Time Off” because holidays are days when the company is closed, or at least its corporate offices.  That means that your colleagues are not filling your email inbox with projects for you to do while you are enjoying a day off. In a word, a holiday is a true break.

In that regard, I am jealous of my mommy friends who work at banks or for the federal government where they get 11-12 paid holidays a year. That means that they get more breaks from work, without penalty or permission.  I think that means that they are more organized and less stressed.

My company has a more conservative view of paid holidays. We get 7 holidays. That means we get one work week less than my federal and banking mommy friends.  I wonder how that translates into job satisfaction???

Maximizing holidays is one of the secrets to succeeding as a working mom. During Thanksgiving and Christmas there are countless family responsibilities to do. However, there is much more flexibility during the other holidays. Those days are days where working moms can catch up on house work, get some extra sleep and spend quality time with the kids. Just be careful and don’t wear yourself out!

Commentary on MLK Day of Service: I hope that everyone used MLK Day as a “day on” as opposed to a “day off”. I hope that you found out what community service projects were available and served your community. Over the years, I have done my fair share of such projects over the years and have always gotten a lot out of them. Since having my toddler though, I have tended to spend MLK Day serving my daughter. When she is older, I am certain that we will serve together. Until then, we shall bond.


I believe that Dr. King would approve of my service as well. After all, I owe my education and my career to him. It is also because of him that I have choices.  THANK GOD!!!