The PTO Strategy That Made Me a Better Mom AND Employee-Part 1: First and Last Day of School)

About this episode

This episode discusses how working moms can reclaim PTO as a tool for intentional life design and emotional availability.

On this episode of Wanna Grab Coffee? we’re talking PTO. You know, that “benefit” that somehow turned into Paid Time Off for Sick Kids, School Chaos, and Everyone Else’s Emergencies Except Yours . Working moms, this one is for us. If you’ve ever tried to be emotionally available on the first or last day of school while secretly checking Slack in the pickup line… same. And if you’ve ever wondered why taking a single PTO day feels harder than your actual job… also same. In this episode, we’re breaking down how to reclaim PTO as part of your earned compensation , not a guilty treat. You’ll learn how to use PTO as a tool for intentional life design- not just for fevers, field trips, and last-minute crises — but for mental health, emotional availability, and showing up for your kids when it matters most. We get into: ☕️ The invisible emotional load of school transitions ☕️ Why presence > perfection (and definitely > inbox zero) ☕️ How to set boundaries with your team + manager ☕️ Tactical ways to unplug without spiraling ☕️ How PTO supports burnout recovery, parenting, and career longevity ☕️ What it looks like to design a life that works for your family, not just your job This…

People in this episode

Host: Natalie Lisk

Topics covered

• PTO
• working moms
• emotional availability
• boundaries
• mental health
• parenting
• career longevity

Keywords

• Paid Time Off
• school transitions
• mom guilt
• burnout recovery
• work-life balance
• emotional labor
• intentional living

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