Who: Wife of Greg, Mom of 3, Woman of the working world
What: 3 1/2 girl & 4 monoth old boy/girl twins
When: Pregnant since 4am on Christmas morning 2002...
What: 3 1/2 girl & 4 monoth old boy/girl twins
When: Pregnant since 4am on Christmas morning 2002...
Where: Suburb of Boise
Why: Lived our life to the fullest & thought that at age 30 it was about time...
I read frequently in my Working Mother magazine (highly recommended) about mothers who feel guilty about working. I am NOT one of them. I love, love, love my 3, but really love my job too! There is a way to balance & here is how I do it...
Why: Lived our life to the fullest & thought that at age 30 it was about time...
I read frequently in my Working Mother magazine (highly recommended) about mothers who feel guilty about working. I am NOT one of them. I love, love, love my 3, but really love my job too! There is a way to balance & here is how I do it...
- 1. "Day Care" (we call it school...Day Care just sounds like Ed Bradly is going bust in w/cameras & do an expose' on dirty toilets). Our school is AMAZING! Education Station has great teachers at all levels, they are very strict w/the kids (no Montesori School here!) & they absolutly love them. I truly believe that I am not the only teacher in their life & that they will learn from others, but will be guided by the morals & values that we instill in them. FYI: our 3 1/2 year old gets praised all the time by the teachers because she does what she is told & keeps the other kids in line when they act out. She knows right from wrong already....because that is how we have raised her so far.
- 2. 50/50 Balance: Greg & have never said..."oh, that is X's job". We both do everything. If you don't have this, you must get it. Bottom line.
- 3. I LOVE my job! My marketing company, BlueLine, is a dream job. I am an account manager & also do sales when needed. Couldn't ask for a better bunch of people to work with.
- 4. COOOOFFFFFFFEEEEEEE! Greg makes the best pot of coffee. My 2 mugs in the morning, an Oregon Chai between 11-2 & then sometimes one at 6 on the way home...and then at least a cup of "leftover" coffee about 7pm. I will cut back once I can get more than a 3 hour block of time in sleepy-ville...until then, NO GUILT!
So guilt is what you make of it. I know that my children are SMART, loved, disciplined, fed & taken care of while I go out & make a living for my family. I love not only being a financial contributer in our family, but a strong one at that.
3 comments:
I, too, am a guilt-free mom, but I haven't always enjoyed this status. I have a teenager and two toddlers (yikes!). I also am the sales & marketing director at Roaring Springs Waterpark in Boise. It's the best job in the world, but for many years I worked six days a week all summer, and five days a week all winter. GUILT! GUILT! GUILT! Plus more than a little exhaustion.
It took some big steps for me to enter the brave new world of guilt-free motherhood, including:
1. Cutting back my work schedule to four days a week in the summer and three days a week in the winter (and, gulp, cutting back my pay & benefits).
2. Hiring a nanny (whom we adore) to take care of our two little ones in our home and do light housework (including grocery shopping and making dinner!). It costs a little more than daycare, but it makes my life so much easier. Just avoiding the stress of getting out the door in the morning with toddlers makes it worth it everyday!
3. Hiring someone to clean my house every two weeks.
It took me a long time to make these changes, as I was suffering from "I can do it all" sydrome, with a touch of the "We can't afford it bug". But now our family is so much happier, and most especially, mom.
I really agree on hiring someone to clean...I have been looking into that, but the "we can't afford it bug" is swarming! I have to weigh not just the financial end, but the value of someone coming in 2x/mo so I don't stress about a clean shower...rather lack there of!
THanks for the post!
-jen
You're not alone! "Can't WE all just stay home?"..."Your friends will miss you at work if you change your schedule, Mommy!" Ultimately, we can't manage or make more time, we can only use it more effectively!
"For better or worse, you must play your own little instrument in the orchestra of life". ~Dale Carnegie...
Thanks for including my in your sphere, Jen! ;)
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