Balancing work and home - is this challenge different for a single mom ?

Krishna
Jul 27
3 min read

#NewIndianWoman #podcast discussion with #Dhanalaxmi on #challenges in #marriage #family, #innerstrength and #career

Balance, work and home or life - try these words in any sequence and we would have all thought about how to do this better, more efficiently ? When you see any article referring to balancing work and home, I feel it is in the context of a woman. When we talk about it in a gender neutral way, it is work life balance, Isn't this interesting ? Right in the usage of the phrase we know what is expected of a woman vs how it is glossed over in the case of a man.

Well, I’m deviating. We all know this is a struggle, especially for a woman, in our context. We talk about how the responsibility should be shared at home etc etc. But what about single parents and especially single mom? How is this challenge felt by them ? The conversation with Dhana(links available below for you to listen to), touches upon this.

Time management is crucial in any role, but women often face added pressure due to societal expectations rooted in patriarchy. There's a common belief that men are the primary earners while women work only for engagement or extra income, making their contributions undervalued. Even today, many women internalize these roles and struggle to balance ambition with family responsibilities. Dhana talks how empowered women still face resistance from partners, especially when traditional roles are reversed, causing friction and ego clashes. True equality means both partners sharing not just work hours but also household duties equally. Work-life balance is often unfairly defined for women—focusing on home and children—while men experience it differently. Women are frequently denied recognition at work, with promotions seen as unnecessary since they're not the "breadwinners." Dhana reiterates that, to create a lasting change, gender roles must be challenged at home, starting with involving children equally in chores. Guilt is a persistent feeling for many women, especially around home responsibilities, but it can be addressed through self-awareness and open conversations. Ultimately, learning to let go of unhelpful guilt and trusting in support—both from others and the universe—is key to moving forward.

In the previous 5 episodes, we discussed in detail with Dhana about her sudden transformation from a happily married woman to a single mom with two kids, having to start her career from scratch, and the challenges of dealing with the new job and the difficulties of parenting etc. Please do check out those if you have missed them!

You would not want to miss this conversation with Dhana!

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As you may already be aware, this podcast has 2 focus areas. One, we examine the challenges faced by today's Indian woman and propose ACTIONABLE strategies in the Indian context, on a wide variety of topics - right from identifying their passion to better productivity and parenting. Second, we meet women who chose to aspire or have a dream beyond their defined roles and facilitate sharing of what worked and what didn’t, for them. Today's episode falls in the second category.

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