These days, the reality of modern living and overpriced houses means that families with two incomes are a common occurrence. And that’s where the trouble starts…

Mummy wars – they’re real. But why? As women, we need to stand together – not apart.

Luckily, the ongoing advent of technology that puts the power to manage our own business from the comfort of our own home has made it easier for many mums to be home with their children AND still earn a great income.

But with that ability to work from home surrounded by those little people we love so much, comes the accompanying guilt. While we’re tending to those email and social media marketing status updates on your Facebook business page, we might be employing the cable TV re-runs of The Wiggles to act as our trusted babysitter, rather than sitting down to paper mache a unicorn and bake a real cake (the type that doesn’t come in a packet).

Much of the guilt, unfortunately, comes from the competitive one up(wo)manship of other mothers of the non-working variety – many of whom seem intent to make working mothers feel bad for not being 100% present in every single moment of their children’s day.

Here are 4 ways working mothers are often made to feel guilty – and how to stop them.

1. Schedule Shaming

When running a business makes time away from your children have to really count, can you afford to give up some of your child-free day to volunteer at the Mother’s Day stall when you’d rather work and stock up an hour of free time for a trip to the playground with your little one? Stay focused on what’s important for your relationship with your children – rather than the petty judgement of women who really aren’t your friends anyway.

2. Complicated Baking

Mid-week baking? It’s the domain of mothers with plenty of time on their hands but it doesn’t make them better than you. Save your sponge cakes for the weekend, when you can do it with your children and don’t let the complex lunch-box treats your children tell you about spoil your Tuesday.

3. Unfunny Jokes

Those mums who make jokes about never seeing you at the school gate, or how many times your child has come in their sport uniform when everyone else is wearing the tunic don’t have the right to make you feel bad. Ignore them. It’s not worth fighting so just be confident – and put it all in perspective. As long as your kids are happy and comfortable, does it really matter what others think?

4. Costume Days

All those special event days when your child has to come to school as their favourite book character, or historical figure, or have crazy hair, or dress like their favourite sporting star?

Don’t let them bother you. Yes, there will always be the posse of mothers with plenty of time on their hands, who can make a hot glue gun do incredible things and also know how to sew. And that’s okay. There is a reason costume hire shops exist and it’s okay to outsource some of these costuming duties to professionals, while you focus on what you need to do.

Working mums have a stressful schedule, sometimes, but it’s important to stay strong and remember why you’re doing it in the first place. Allocating time for you and your kids to have fun is really important but worrying about what other mums might think of your parenting efforts isn’t.