Behind the Scenes: The Life of the Working Mom

Being a mom that works has its ups and downs. The time spent away from the house and the family can feel like somewhat of a break since you get to have adult conversations and time to yourself. But, the anxiety of being away from your littles and the fear of missing major milestones in your child’s life can be too much to bear some days.

In this day in age, it is more common for both parents to work. It is even less common for men to be the ones who stay at home but this is also on the rise. Our family recently became one with a stay at home dad when my husband’s boss gave him a $20k pay cut. Our child was in daycare which offered flexibility for my work schedule and a learning environment for him. Now as we embark on this new chapter in our lives, I have a lot of mixed feelings about the situation.

When our little was in daycare, they would email pictures throughout the day and show us things he was doing. This was nice because it made me feel that he was safe and that he was having fun. We had formed a good relationship with the daycare center and I trusted that his needs were being met and he was loved. This was also a facility that had a curriculum and activities so I felt confident that he was learning as well. This helped to ease my anxiety while I was at work and made it easier for me to leave him. There were days when they would send me a picture of him leaning to crawl or holding himself up that gave me a twinge of guilt but I try to remember that there are SO many milestones in a child’s life and that I will be there for all of them, one way or another.

Now that the baby will be staying home with my husband, I have new feelings. I know my husband does as well. It is not common for men to stay home, even in the year 2017. He will be entering in to a small group of men who have taken on this role for one reason or another. And who I will assume have a very career-oriented and work-dedicated partner. Admittedly, I am jealous of the time he will get to spend with our son. He will be there for all the milestones. He will be the primary boo-boo kisser. He will do all the fun activities. I will get my time on the weekends but will miss out on so much during the week. I hope that when our son gets sad, he will still want his mommy and will not always run to his daddy. This may sound silly but they are real fears I have.

My plan is to make the most of the time I have with him. I will find activities to do with him when I am home and I will make memories. I firmly believe that there is a special bond between mother and child and I sincerely hope that I will remain a staple in his life and a hero in his eyes. I’d like to think that having a working mom will instill certain characteristics in him that will be valuable in his life.

So, to all you working moms out there, remember how strong you are and what a role model you are. Cherish your time with the family, but keep making that coin, girl.