Working Mom
Forgive me... It's been over a year since I posted but please understand a new job and another baby put my writing on the back burner... Basically my life is utter chaos:) About a year ago I was blessed to receive somewhat of a promotion. Same company but now I work in the corporate office which is better hours and more opportunity! It was definitely an answered prayer since the Other Half and I knew we wanted to take one more spin around the baby track.
Another blessing arrived 3 months ago with the arrival of our adorable Munchkin #2! We now have a girl and a boy, which I could not have planned better if I was able to! Basically for the last 3 months my life on Maternity Leave consisted of nursing, diaper explosions, 2 year old meltdowns, nursing, diaper change, naptime fights, nursing, diaper... You get the idea.
This week I returned to work, and although I am thankful for a job I enjoy and the return of my life outside of Spit-upville, I can't fully explain the chaos that children put on any normal life transition! I've been daydreaming about the days B.C. (before children)... when I could spend 45 minutes on my hair and makeup in the mornings. The other morning I forgot to send a bottle and pacifier to the grandparents house for lil man. Those are the kinds of mornings I have to go alongside my long working days which calls for a whole lot of this:
So.... working as a momma defintely has it's downfalls, but let me be clear. I am very proud to be a working mother! This is for all the mothers out there that might be having a hard time going back to work or wish they could stay at home or even feeling guilty that they spend so much time away from their children while working. First off, I love the fact that we have a little more money to spend on our munchkins. Disneyland would be out of the picture for sure if I didn't work and I know it would have been MUCH more difficult to purchase a home if we only had one income. I love the fact that we can spoil our kids every once in awhile (note: once in awhile) and it not break the bank. I also enjoy vacations/trips that we are able to take as a family since we have two incomes. My side of the family happens to live across the country, including my siblings and neices/nephew, and we are able to fly out at least every Thanksgiving to spend the holiday together as well as expose our kids to completely different environments. Please don't take this the wrong way... I'm not working solely to have more money... I'd like to say I'm not that shallow:)
Secondly, I believe it is very important to show my children what it looks like to be a hard-working person. I have been working since I was 14 years old. I have been labeled independent by almost every person I know and I wear that title proudly! During my 16 years of employment, I have come into contact with way too many lazy workers. It's frustrating to have to work with somone who doesn't pull their own weight and who doesn't seem to have enough pride in themselves to do the best job they are capable of doing, no matter what the compensation is. There is a generation of people who have this 'I should get everything without working for it' mentality and the real world doesn't work that way. Again, don't get me wrong... I know stay at home mothers work EXTREMELY HARD! But in a lot of cases, not very many kids might have the opportunity to grow up and stay at home with their children. Many won't even have children! Also, there are many years prior to having children that usually involve working. Basically everyone is going to do some sort of work at some point in their life so it's beneficial to understand what it means to be a hard worker:)
Allow me to also throw in that it's not just about mothers either. I know that it is difficult for daddy's to leave their kids as well... Especially single dads. So don't think I'm being biased... or sexist;)
Working mommas out there: never be hard on yourself about your situation! Be thankful that you are able to have a job in a jobless economy, be joyful in the fact that your little one is provided for, and be proud that you are able to be a great role model for your children as they grow.
Another blessing arrived 3 months ago with the arrival of our adorable Munchkin #2! We now have a girl and a boy, which I could not have planned better if I was able to! Basically for the last 3 months my life on Maternity Leave consisted of nursing, diaper explosions, 2 year old meltdowns, nursing, diaper change, naptime fights, nursing, diaper... You get the idea.
This week I returned to work, and although I am thankful for a job I enjoy and the return of my life outside of Spit-upville, I can't fully explain the chaos that children put on any normal life transition! I've been daydreaming about the days B.C. (before children)... when I could spend 45 minutes on my hair and makeup in the mornings. The other morning I forgot to send a bottle and pacifier to the grandparents house for lil man. Those are the kinds of mornings I have to go alongside my long working days which calls for a whole lot of this:
So.... working as a momma defintely has it's downfalls, but let me be clear. I am very proud to be a working mother! This is for all the mothers out there that might be having a hard time going back to work or wish they could stay at home or even feeling guilty that they spend so much time away from their children while working. First off, I love the fact that we have a little more money to spend on our munchkins. Disneyland would be out of the picture for sure if I didn't work and I know it would have been MUCH more difficult to purchase a home if we only had one income. I love the fact that we can spoil our kids every once in awhile (note: once in awhile) and it not break the bank. I also enjoy vacations/trips that we are able to take as a family since we have two incomes. My side of the family happens to live across the country, including my siblings and neices/nephew, and we are able to fly out at least every Thanksgiving to spend the holiday together as well as expose our kids to completely different environments. Please don't take this the wrong way... I'm not working solely to have more money... I'd like to say I'm not that shallow:)
Secondly, I believe it is very important to show my children what it looks like to be a hard-working person. I have been working since I was 14 years old. I have been labeled independent by almost every person I know and I wear that title proudly! During my 16 years of employment, I have come into contact with way too many lazy workers. It's frustrating to have to work with somone who doesn't pull their own weight and who doesn't seem to have enough pride in themselves to do the best job they are capable of doing, no matter what the compensation is. There is a generation of people who have this 'I should get everything without working for it' mentality and the real world doesn't work that way. Again, don't get me wrong... I know stay at home mothers work EXTREMELY HARD! But in a lot of cases, not very many kids might have the opportunity to grow up and stay at home with their children. Many won't even have children! Also, there are many years prior to having children that usually involve working. Basically everyone is going to do some sort of work at some point in their life so it's beneficial to understand what it means to be a hard worker:)
Allow me to also throw in that it's not just about mothers either. I know that it is difficult for daddy's to leave their kids as well... Especially single dads. So don't think I'm being biased... or sexist;)
Working mommas out there: never be hard on yourself about your situation! Be thankful that you are able to have a job in a jobless economy, be joyful in the fact that your little one is provided for, and be proud that you are able to be a great role model for your children as they grow.
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