It’s been a minute since I’ve shared a Diary of a Working Mom Q&A post, and I’m so excited for today’s. Rashmi (of @rushmehome) is someone I connected with on Instagram. On her page, she shares home decor inspiration, products, tips, tricks, etc. She’s super creative (and sweet!), and it shows!
But of course, there’s another very important side to her as well…MOM! She’s the mom of two adorable kiddos, and I love seeing how she balances that role with her full-time Marketing job as well as her side hustle…not to mention the million other hats she wears.
Anyways, I’ll let Rashmi tell her story…
1. Tell me a little more about your family – number of kids, names, ages.
My name is Rashmi and I’ve been married to my husband Chirag for almost 9 years now (together for almost 13 years). We have two toddlers. A 4.5 year old boy and 3 year old girl. I call them my almost twins! They def keep us on our toes.
2. Tell me more about your line of work, role, responsibilities, etc.
I’m a Digital Marketer for a tech company, and my work involves personalization for our website. I manage a team of four that are offshore. I’m responsible for various project implementations for our B2B (Business to Business) customers. When I’m not at my 9 to 5, I run my blog at RushMeHome.com. I’m a company of one employee so far, me! I try my best to plan my content, but it’s not always easy when you’re a full time working mom. I try my best though! RushMeHome is a passion project of mine, so for me, it doesn’t feel like work. It’s something I love to do.
3. Walk me through a day in your life.
Gosh! This is a hard question. For us, it’s different every day. I wake up around 6:30 and get the kids ready for school (breakfast, lunches, etc.). I get to work around 8:45 am and typically leave around 4:30-5:00. My mom duties start the minute I get home. I prep dinner, get the kids to eat, etc. After that, my husband typically washes the dishes while I clean up. We play with the kids, watch some TV with them as well and then my husband and I trade off putting the kids to bed every day. One day I’ll put one to bed and he puts the other and the next night we switch. That way we both get time with each kid. It works out pretty nicely for us.
4. How has becoming a mom influenced your role at work?
I feel like becoming a mom has made me more patient at work and also more productive because I know once I get home I want to be with them instead of thinking about work. It’s hard sometimes, but I try my best. I think it’s also helped me want to do more and show them that you have to work hard for what you want.
5. What is your favorite tip on how to integrate work and life?
To be quite honest, I don’t know if I have the best tip. I will say to try and separate the two when you get home. It’s easier said than done because we know in reality something may have gone wrong at work and you sometimes bring home those feelings. I think it’s trying your best to evolve and know that work will always be there. And when it’s family time, it’s family time.
6. How do you handle mom guilt?
Mom guilt is hard. I remember when I first had my son and went through the baby blues. The first few months were hard. I didn’t want to leave the house because I felt like I was failing as a mom for other reasons such as not being able to breastfeed or the fact that somehow it was my fault he wouldn’t nap for more than 30 minutes at a time. But once I was out of that phase, I knew that for me to be away has helped me be a better mom. And since then, I’ve been better about mom guilt. I know that at the end of the day if I don’t get those breaks, it’s harder for me to be a happy mom to them. TAKE THE BREAK when needed.
7. What is the most surprising part of being a working mom? And the most rewarding?
That it makes me a better mom honestly. I felt like because I was very maternal growing up that I would want to be a stay at home mom. And for me, that is actually not something I wanted to do. I realized I needed to be away at work and be my own person outside of being a mom. It’s a VERY personal decision for a mom to make whether or not she wants to work or stay at home. Both are hard no matter what. But for me, that was the most surprising.
The most rewarding has been seeing little versions of me and my husband in them. The good and the bad, and that we have the ability to shape them to be the kind, caring humans beings I hope they become one day.
8. How do you carve out ‘me’ time? What does ‘me’ time look like for you? On that same note, what’s your guilty pleasure?
My husband and I make sure we have “me” time, especially because I naturally have a more anxiety driven personality. Whether it’s time away at Target or getting my nails done, I always make sure I take time for me.
My guilty pleasure is to literally eat nachos and watch the bachelor/bachelorette. I’m an OG fan of the show. Ha!
9. What’s your mama mantra?
Everything will work out the way its supposed to. And sometimes you have to let things go.
10. What’s the best piece of advice you received when returning back to work after having your baby?
The best advice I received was that it’s ok if things don’t always get done at home. If you’re expecting to cross everything off your to-do list then you are setting the wrong expectation. You will always have an ongoing list and THAT IS OK. You work through it one at a time and do your best.
11. What advice would you give to mamas-to-be about returning back to work?
Honestly, I would say to take your time to ease back into it. Your whole world feels different, and it takes time to get back into a routine. Definitely give yourself some credit and take it one step at a time. You will figure out what works best for you and your family.
Thank you so much, Rashmi, for sharing your life and thoughts with us! You are a true inspiration, and I admire all that you’re doing – at home, at work, and with RushMeHome! What an example you are to your babies!
