No more Mommy Wars...

Before I had my son, before I even knew that I was going to have children, I always assumed that I would want to be a working mother.  I was such an independent woman, and just always felt the need to be financially independent. After having Alex, and after we got into a routine, I had a strong desire to be at home with him. 


Of course we didn't plan for that, or even discuss it while I was pregnant. It was just assumed that I would take my maternity leave and then return back to work. 

We are very fortunate to have 2 grandmothers watching Alex in our home. Not only does our son get the opportunity to have 1:1 attention, but it is also a great bonding experience for everyone involved. Many children don't get the chance to develop such a close relationship with their grandparents at such an early age. 


Even knowing how fortunate we are, and being so thankful that we have family to watch Alex, there is not one minute in the day that I have working mother guilt. The fact that I am not able to raise my child, and spend time with him during these early days is just sometimes so difficult.  


On the flip side, if I did have the opportunity to stay home with Alex, would I have guilt that I was not in the workforce making my own money, saving for his future? How would I return to the workforce with a gap of unemployment? Or would I feel that he wasn't getting a sense of hard work and responsibility? (Not to say that staying at home is not hard work -- the 10 weeks I had off were extremely difficult!! You would think that your house would ALWAYS been clean and organized. That dinner would be on the table at 5:00 PM. Clothes would be washed and folded. Not so much when you have a fussy baby that day!!!)


This article was a great read. It makes so much sense to me. Both working in the home and working outside are tough!! Parenting in general is tough!! Finding balance and making the best out of our decisions is key - no matter what the situation is.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/mommy-wars_b_1210602.html?ref=parents