Monday, April 13, 2009

Working Mom Appreciates Time Away From Motherhood

I have a love/hate relationship with working outside the home. It is difficult to always be rushing out the door to go somewhere with a toddler. It's hard to juggle all of the household responsibilities that have to be taken care of when you just feel like crashing when you've been on your feet all day. It sucks that I can't go to a mom's group or even have coffee with a friend and their kids once in a while. It makes my life pretty lonely.

However, days like today make me grateful that I have a job outside the home. A place I can just be me and have conversations with adults about things other than the best way to get your child to eat veggies or how to handle tantrums. I can watch people outside and feel like I'm a part of the world. I can miss my child once in a while and feel proud when I get to take my little paycheck to the bank. I would never be able to mentally handle a 5-day-a-week job while having children at home. I would even go so far as to say that I don't think it's responsible parenting (cringe...yeah, I just said that.) I'm realizing that a little time away from the home, to earn a little money or just to pursue hobbies (if you don't need the money) is good for a mama's soul.

2 comments:

Fig+Sage said...

I really appreciate the honesty of this post. I'm not sure I would be able to hold onto my sanity if I were home every day with a child. On the other hand I also can't imagine leaving my own child/children in someone else's care 40+ hours a week.

I know moms that work who feel guilty about being away from their kid(s) and also know those that stay home, crave more adult interaction and/or feel like they've lost part (or all) of themselves.

It is a modern woman's dilemma indeed. It's good you're looking on the bright side of working even though there are negatives for you.

Not having a full time job "while having children at home" is a pretty long time (Really? 18 years?). Our Mom did it and I think we turned out well and I admire her for having a career :)

xoxo

Erin said...

S - You bring up a good point about the full-time job while having children at home thing. I think, for me, I wouldn't be able to do it - too many plates to juggle at the same time. It may work just fine for some though, especially when you've got teenagers at home. I was referring to having small children at home - like any pre-school age. I see the sign-in/sign-out sheet at Soren's school and look at the hours that some of the kids spend there. It breaks my heart. Little kids who are in group care from 7:30am - 5:30pm, 5 days a week. The majority of these kids' lives are spent away from their parents and I don't think it's fair to the kids. I know some people have no choice, but in most cases people do...it just involves sacrifice. I think so many people decide to have cute little babies, but then don't want the hard work (and giving up of themselves) that it takes to raise them. But yeah, I think 18 years (or longer if you have more than one kid) is a long time to hold off on a career if you really want one. You're right, it's a dilemma indeed.

How's that for a rant? Maybe I should have written another post instead of putting this in a comment. :)