Strength Isn’t Doing It All, It’s Not Having To

The Myth of Equal Hours

We often hear: “You have the same 24 hours as everyone else.”
Yet for working women, teachers, and mothers, those hours are far from equal. Their workday doesn’t begin when they clock in, nor does it end when they clock out.

Two Jobs, One Woman

From Monday to Saturday, teachers pour their energy into classrooms. They prepare lessons, mentor students, grade assignments, meet parents, and manage countless moving pieces that keep the school day running.

However, when the last bell rings, their second shift begins.

There are fresh meals to cook because morning ones “won’t do.” Laundry to fold. Children’s homework to check. Doctor’s appointments to remember. Bills to pay. Social visits to attend.

One teacher I know works six days a week, only to spend Sunday visiting in-laws, cooking elaborate meals, and hosting guests because she “hasn’t been there all week.” By the end of her “day off,” she is more exhausted than she was on Friday.

The Invisible Load Everywhere

This reality isn’t limited to educators. Across professions, working mothers carry an invisible load: the constant mental checklist of meals, laundry, schedules, grocery shopping, social obligations, and family logistics.

Even when women are the main earners, paying bills, covering school fees, and running the household financially, domestic responsibilities rarely decrease.

In most homes:

• Childcare? Still theirs.
• Household management? Every detail, every decision.

When Things Go Wrong

Whenever something slips, a child falls sick, a social event is missed, or a chore is left undone, their professional work is the first thing questioned.

“Toh kaam mat karo. What’s the need?”

As if the solution to imbalance is for women to give up their careers, passions, and financial independence, instead of men and families stepping up.

Beyond “Supermom” Labels

We love to call these women “supermoms” or “superteachers.” Yet strength should not be measured by how much a woman can endure without breaking.

They don’t need applause for doing it all. They need a world where they don’t have to do it all.

Sharing the Load

If we truly value teachers, mothers, and working women, appreciation is not enough. Real change begins when the load is shared.

Husbands, fathers, brothers- cook, clean, manage school projects, do bedtime, grocery shop, book the doctor’s appointment. And do it not as “help,” but as your equal share.

Because the home belongs to everyone who lives in it, and its care should too.

Her Time Is Not Worth Less

Her time is not worth less.
Her rest is not worth less.
Her passion and commitment are not worth less.

If we want thriving classrooms, healthy families, and a more equal society, the invisible load can’t remain invisible and it can’t remain hers alone.

A Question for All of Us

So the next time you see a woman who seems to “do it all,” don’t just admire her. Instead, ask yourself:

What am I doing to make sure she doesn’t have to?