The same week I found Cora a daycare, I was offered a freelance project. I decided to enroll Cora in daycare in preparation for the new baby’s arrival. I wanted her to have a place of her very own. Somewhere safe for her to go and get her wiggles out while I am very pregnant and when the baby first arrives. The daycare had the opening immediately and here in SoCal it’s very difficult to find somewhere without a long waiting list. The thought of 3 days a week alone was daunting for me so I was thrilled to have this part-time opportunity come up. A chance to get dressed for the office again, and talk to adults about things other than babies.
I was really excited to have a chance to see how the other half lives. All over social media you see articles comparing the stay-at-home mom life to the working mom life. When I first had Cora, I fully intended on going back to work full time. After a week back my Husband and I decided it would be better for our lifestyle for me to stay home. I was afraid I would loose myself in motherhood. I didn’t have any friends with babies. While working I was heartbroken to leave my daughter each day that week. The thought of staying at home excited me knowing I’d be with her every moment, but I was scarred to death. I’m not very outgoing in a social atmosphere and I am on the fancy side of motherhood (most days). I like to get fully dressed, with makeup and baubles. When meeting a group of Moms I was nervous this would give them the impression that I was uptight, when in reality I am easy going. I believe if you look better, you feel better, you do better, and I want to do the best for myself, my husband and my daughter.
Being back at work was an enjoyable experience. It reminded me that I am still a smart women, with good ideas and I haven’t lost my skills. It was eye opening for sure. For starters, on my first day I had to leave early because Cora had a fever. Organizing doctor appointments became a challenge. Dinner most nights seemed impossible. Some days I felt like working was way easier than being a Mom. I didn’t have to keep someone alive. I only had to worry about my task list once I walked into the office. I didn’t have to translate toddler talk, or entertain. There were many days I hated working. Play dates we missed out on with her little friends. Housework fell behind.
I fully understand that my part-time, consulting gig, is nowhere near the same as a full time working mother. However, I can honestly say that the pros and cons of both worlds are very different, however, neither was better from the short experience I had. The fact is, no two homes or two jobs are the same. We will each face different challenges and receive gratitude in different ways. Our strengths and weaknesses will vary. We all have unique support systems to assist how our home and lifestyle function. Every mom will have her supermom days here and there, just like you will have your wits end days. No matter the details of your day-to-day, being a mom is the hardest, most important role we will ever have. If we can all just except that as the bottom line and support each other as Moms and Women we would have one amazing “village” for our children to grow up in.
