15 Times Working Dads Feel No Shame (so Working Moms Shouldn't Either)

There’s no doubt that being a working mom nowadays is thoroughly exhausting. It’s also deeply rewarding, but did we mention it’s exhausting? From the morning rush to the bedtime scramble, every moment feels like we’re barely treading water, trying to do the best for our kids and our career. Then, of course, we feel guilty about the compromises we strike just to make it all work. And then we feel guilty for feeling guilty. Why are we giving ourselves such a hard time?

Good question. You know who doesn’t spend the whole day feeling guilty about taking a shortcut or two when necessary? Working dads. Without the societal pressure to be perfect parents, it simply doesn’t faze them—or even occur to them to worry—when they aren’t on their A game. That’s not a criticism, by the way. Working dads are great dads, and there’s no proof that intensive parenting is good for kids anyway. Maybe we working moms should take a page from working dads, and give ourselves a break from time to time. Here are some of the times your working dad partner probably doesn’t stress—and neither should you.