VP Mom to Critics: ‘I Am Very Proud of Looking Tired’

The next time you’re thinking of telling a working mom—or anyone for that matter—they look tired, we suggest you just don’t. One mom, fortunately, had the best response on LinkedIn when someone messaged her to tell her how she looked.

Melanie Borden, a mom of girls ages 5 and 7 and the VP of Marketing at a New York City-based car company, explained that after posting a recent video to LinkedIn, someone deemed it necessary to tell her she looked tired. And who doesn’t?

Her post detailed how every working mom is doing the best she can, and it’s a must-read:

Yes I am tired. On behalf of everyone everywhere worldwide we are all tired from 2020.

Especially working parents.

Outside of work I am a mom. My kids are my No. 1 priority and now we are doing virtual school again for the second time around this year.

Plus the normal parent things outside of a global pandemic like being woken up at night, sick kids, etc.

I am very proud of looking tired, I work my tail off as both a mom and employee.

If looking tired is a badge of honor for my accomplishments this year, I’ll take it!!

Amen, Mama. Melanie’s raw honesty in how she’s juggling her responsibilities as a mom and an employee is inspiring to us all—and by the way, if she looks tired, we’re not sure what that means for us. This year has been utter chaos and everyone deserves a little bit of slack.

You know what else we’re tired of? People judging working parents for not having everything together all the time—especially in the COVID era. Melanie, who looks like a stellar working mom to us, is setting an example for her little ones that it’s OK for family to come first, regardless of other responsibilities.

"[This year] has been so challenging for everyone, but as working moms, it’s especially hard for us," Melanie told Working Mother. "We are the hardest on ourselves, and each other. We judge ourselves for everything from how we look to how we parent. We have been tasked with an extra challenge of navigating through this year while teaching, working, parenting and trying to retain some sense of ourselves. [In 2020], I have learned to be kind to myself and that my children need the stability and structure, and their well-being is my priority."

She isn’t the only mom to showcase her realness on LinkedIn during this crisis. A few months ago, one consultant mom explained why she switched her profile picture from a “glossy” headshot to one that showcases her true reality. Another mom admitted she’s “not sorry” for being a working mom—inspiring us to be wholeheartedly unapologetic about our priorities.

If there’s one silver lining of the pandemic, it’s this: Working moms can finally be shamelessly transparent about everything that’s on our plates. Our colleagues can actually see—in Zooms and otherwise—everything we’re dealing with. So there’s no longer an excuse for us not to get the flexibility and support we deserve.