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.