After more than 11 years of being (mostly) gainfully employed, I’m embarking on a new career: stay-at-home Mom. With baby #2 due to arrive in a little over four weeks and an ever-willful and independent 18-month-old toddler on my hands, this “job change” isn’t just practical, it’s a necessity.
Before I had kids, I always found myself wondering what exactly women who didn’t work outside of the home did all day. Today, I’m able to laugh openly at my naiveté. Keeping Jorryn (a.k.a. Peep) entertained, fed, safe, and happy leaves me far more drained and exhausted than working a normal 40-hour workweek ever did…and being almost 35 weeks pregnant complicates matters even more. Not that I’m complaining. Though being a mom is the hardest job I’ve ever had, it’s also the most rewarding.
One of the main reasons the hubs and I decided to have me stay home for a while was because I was been constantly struggling with the feeling that I was trying to juggle too many responsibilities—and not doing a truly good job at any of them. Devoting ample time and attention to my career meant that TV was babysitting Peep and I was a bad mommy. Focusing solely on the baby for a morning made me feel guilty for being a bad employee. And forget about the sugary sweet June Cleaver wife stereotype. After a day of trying to juggle work and child rearing I’d be lucky to have gotten a shower in, much less clean the house or have dinner and a cocktail waiting for my husband as he came through the door.
I feel very fortunate and blessed to be able to take a slight hiatus from my career in order to raise the kiddos for a while. I’m appreciative of my husband for the hard work he does to support us. I’m thankful to my parents who taught me early on about the importance of managing and saving money and not getting into debt. And I’m thankful that I have an amazing group of friends—many of them stay-at-home mommies themselves—who will be around for fun play dates and to help me navigate these unfamiliar waters.
I can’t possibly know what the next few weeks and months have in store, but I’m sure it’s going to be one heck of a ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment