There’s no shame in spending some time away from your little ones, especially if it’s at work. “I think that there is a desire within all of us working parents to do it all,” Maya Rudolph told iVillage in a 2013 interview. “You really do want to be present for all of the things that are going on in your life. And if you’re going to be away from your kids, you should at least like what you’re doing.” Yes, there will still be tough days, but Rudolph’s  advice can make the time spent away a lot easier than if you’re miserable.

You’re ready to unwind from the day, but you want to spend some quality time with your kid, too. I get it and so does Amy Poehler. “It’s fun to read [to] them, especially when you’re a working mother,” Poehler said in an interview with mom.me. “It’s a really good way to connect at the end of the night, to talk to them without forcing them to talk to you.”

Celebrity moms are always asked for parenting advice, and Tina Fey’s answer to Time Out New York Kids is a good one. “Whenever you can, just go home.” Don’t let the guilt of volunteering or having a drink with coworkers or putting in extra hours on a project stop you from settling on the couch with your kid just so you can hear them jabber.

You’re slow-clapping for this one, aren’t you? “Every mother needs a wife who takes care of her and helps her become a better mother,” Poehler wrote in her book Yes, Please, and I couldn’t agree more. In a world full of mommy wars, it’s refreshing to hear a bad*ss mom say that we all need a wife in our lives to build us up, help take care of us, and be there when the going gets tough.

Ana Gasteyer is insistent that not having a sit-down meal with the entire family won’t lead your kids to prison. In an article for Family Circle, the actress admitted that her family doesn’t do sit-down dinners, but they make up for it in other way. “We walk to school together every single day, and we have a regular night that we go out for dinner,” she wrote. “The best days in my life are when we get away, unplug and live a very simple, card-and-bingo-playing life together—while all eating totally different foods.” So focus your family bonding on something you all enjoy rather than counting the number of bites to finish that stroganoff.

It’s a useless emotion for Julia Louis-Dreyfus and I have to agree with her. “Guilt is a b*tch,” she told Redbook. “It clouds things. . . it makes certain decision-making more difficult.” You know what’s best for you and your kids — don’t let guilt squander that confidence.

All your kid wants to eat is Goldfish and holy sh*t, you are going to lose it. Deep breath, mama. “Sometimes you have to just let them do their thing and trust that they’re going to be OK,” Poehler told mom.me of her own picky eaters. “If they go to bed hungry they’re going to be OK.”

Your kid’s been screaming for 30 minutes because you put on the exact television show they requested. Not only are you the worst mother alive (obviously), but now you’re on the verge of a freak out. Take a tip from Rachel Dratch and try to keep calm. “Try not to lose your shit,” she said in an interview with Mommy Shorts about her parenting philosophy. “II try to stick to a basic schedule but when things don't go as planned I try to go with the flow.” Easier said than done, I get it, but it’s valid advice. No one wants to see you Hulk out, especially your kid.

Your boobs, your baby, your decision, right? Fey thinks so. “The advice I always try to give for a mom is, whatever you do breastfeeding-wise — great,” she said during a 2013 screening of Admission. And she’s absolutely right. Don’t worry about what anyone says or thinks or posts on your Facebook wall in an effort to sway you. Feed your baby and feel good about it.

Run out of ideas on what to do with your kid? Poehler says not to fear and throw out a funny face or two. It’s valid advice and, the best part, it doesn’t require wearing real pants. Deal.

And no, not with your baby. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Fey admitted to playing hooky from work and motherhood to unwind from the parenting struggles. Sure, you may fall asleep seven minutes into the previews, but it’s still totally worth it.

Images: NBC Universal; Giphy (11)