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Working mothers have various preferences for work. While some only want to work part time, others want to work full time and receive paid maternity leave and sick days. Other mothers prefer compressed work weeks or telecommuting options. If you are a mother working in manner not conducive to the priority of motherhood, here are three tips on how to work with your employer to make your preference a reality:

1.) Demonstrate that you are valuable to the organization. Produce quality work. Go above and beyond tasks assigned. Do your job well and be an employee of integrity even in little things like not stealing company pens or abusing lunch breaks (ouch!). Organizations are not as inclined to be flexible with average and mediocre employees.

2.) Do your homework. Take your employee handbook out of the bottom of your bottom desk drawer, read it and know the policies in place for maternity leave, sick days, and work hours. I also researched organizations similar in size and purpose to compare their benefits with those in my organization. Find out if other mothers in your organization are granted work schedule flexibility. Be mindful of the type of position you have before comparing your flexibility options to those of others. If you answer phones and greet visitors for your organization, you likely won’t be able to work from home 40 hours per week, but you may be able to come in to work earlier and leave early enough to pick up your children from school while a co-worker covers the front desk for you. Likewise, if you directly supervise a number of employees in your office, working from home the majority of your work week may not be a feasible option. Advances in technology also allow for greater work-schedule flexibility. Much of our jobs are performed through email and conference calls. There is even technology that allows you to remotely access your office network drives. Know the technology you will need to make your work preference feasible.

3.) Dare to ask. Just because your employer has not provided flexibility before doesn’t mean they won’t grant flexibility when asked, especially after you have demonstrated your value and done your homework. It is also important that you communicate your motherhood priorities and preferences up-front. I scheduled meetings with my supervisors while I was pregnant to discuss my work-schedule preferences. This gives your organization time to make any needed adjustments through job-sharing and the delegation of assignments to other co-workers.

There is no job more important than motherhood. Wise employers understand this and the mothers they employ have increased productivity and loyalty, reduced stress, and are able to do what matters most -- nurture and shape generations to come.