Work Hard, Play Harder, Mamas

To you working mamas out there, why is it so hard? I actually like to work, and there’s no doubt I’m better at working than I am at being a stay-at-home mom, but more than two years later, and I still struggle with this whole career thing.

I never once in my life envisioned myself as a stay-at-home mom, yet I was a total wreck having to go back to work. And despite all the days I love my job, I love the people I work with and things are going great, I still worry I’ll wake up one day, this will all be gone and I’ll have missed it.

Those feelings are definitely amplified on days that, well, suck. “I could totally be at home or out adventuring with my kid rather than putting out stressful, petty fire drills.”

Then I bring myself back down to earth and remember that the grass is not always greener; not every day is rainbows and sunshines on “the other side.” We don’t all have an endless pot of gold, with no chores and a nanny on call for when we need a break. It’s easy to forget that massages, vacations, fun adventures and a house cleaning lady are often the first things that get sacrificed when there’s a pay cut. It’s just so easy to be at work and feel like I’m missing out, though.

So when I momentarily lose sight of my career identity, I think about all the things my job (+ daycare) do offer me and my family – a daily break and reset, consistency and routine, financial freedom, personal and professional growth, independence, socialization.

I remind myself that it’s ok to be fulfilled by my career, that it’s possible my career actually makes me a better mom and that being a mom actually makes me a better professional. I wake up, I work hard, then I flip the switch, and I play harder. Recharge, wake up, do it again.

It’s okay to be a career woman. It means we get to savor the time we do have.

When guilt starts to kick in, just remember: work hard, play harder, mamas.

Kendra Germenis
Kendra joined the mom club in 2016, followed by the #boymom club in Summer 2019. Kendra loves to write, and for AMB, enjoys sharing her new parent experiences, tips, and general love of Austin. For her, life is a balance of spending quality time with her family, pursuing her program management career, and still soaking up life and adventures. She also freelances through her art and design shop, Kitsy Co. Assorted loves: art, date nights, culture, road trips, Bravo, breweries, chocolate, house remodeling, sunshine, live music and patios.

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