If you don't know, I'm a full-time working mom. Often times I find it difficult and tiring trying to balance it all. Am I alone in my less than perfect Martha Stewart/Pottery Barn/Brady Bunch world? I wanted to know other people's thoughts and feelings on finding the balance between it all. Please share.
I introduce you to Maureen from Tatter Scoops. She was kind enough to share her perspective as a working mom.
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When Mama on Da Go asked me to guest post about being a full time working mom, I was so flattered then I panicked!
What the heck do I really know? I’ve only been working for a little more than two weeks now! There are plenty of other working moms out there.
Before, I did some part time job from home, little things that doesn’t really consume my time but with the end of my marriage, I must push myself out there. Injecting my old self back into the corporate world…
It’s not easy! That’s for sure…from finding the job itself to leave my son on the first day.
Believe me, I cried!
I was missing him too much, I felt distant with the new people at work – they are nice but I still feel awkward being ask about my marital status, I felt guilty that I would be missing out my son’s daily activities. It was really tough.
Then I started to get into the rhythms of working again, secretly, I started falling back in love with my career. There’s this great feelings inside about being productive, satisfactions coming from outside motherhood.
Luckily, I am living with my parents. Got my son a nanny to help watching him, she seems to love him so that’s great. I don’t have to do the dishes, laundry, cleaning or cooking. My mom has an assistant who does all that. All I have to do is work, come home and spend what’s left of that day with my son, nanny will pretty much rest when I get home and took over. Sounds easy right? Not so much!
Often times, I’d come home feeling exhausted because my day started early, so early. Got up at 4 and left the house by 6 or 6:15. I’d rather come early, finish my job and doesn’t have to work overtime too much. On average I’m working 55-60 hours a week.
The boy has been doing great while his mommy is at work or so I’ve been told. Yet when I’m home, he’ll become super clingy, whiney and cranky leaving me overwhelmed. Maybe it’s just a phase until he get used to the idea that mommy is now working full time. I’m hoping it will get better and I won’t get too worked up over this.
He will start preschool next month…when he went to his preschool last week, my heart aches because I can’t take him. When I got home from work, I tried to absorb every little detail that my mom could remember and told me.
That’s just a beginning…
Sadly, I’m sure I will be missing out on a lot of little things that my boy would experience in preschool, with my schedule I won’t be able to drop him off and pick him up.
As hard as I wanted to be there 100% for him, I can’t be in two places at the same time so hopefully when he’s old enough to understand, he’ll know that I’m doing all this to give him a better future.
Balancing mommyhood and career is not easy, especially for a single mom. We may have extra helps from families or on my case, hired hands but there is a difference.
Learning to prioritize and setting limits are the keys, I think because frankly, we can’t all be supermom who juggles motherhood, career and being a domestic diva at the same time without sacrificing one or two things to keep the important parts up in the air.
Until I master these steps and learn how not to loose my mind…I would just take it one day at a time.
If you’re a working mom, how do you balance it all? Tips and tricks are welcome."
XOXO
Maureen
