Working Mom Confession

kbeach82

Robeano's post got me thinking, and I have come to the conclusion: I must be a horrible mom. Ok, I don't really think that, but I LOVE going to work. I work Mon, Wed, Fri from 6:30-4:30 and I really look forward to my days in the office.

Now granted, I didn't feel this way when I only had DS1. I stayed at home with him for 8 months and it was really hard for me to go back to work (I was at home 3 days a week and in the office 2 at that point).

I've been with my company for 8 years now, and I love what I do and the people that I work with. Coming to the office really gives me back a sense of myself. Adjusting to having 3 very young children has been really difficult for me at times, and I still feel overwhelmed and guilty for not being supermom to all of my LOs all of the time.   

Does anyone else really enjoy going to work, even though it means you have to be away from your LO(s)?

kzawisl

I do. I love my job. from the time the twins were born until they were a year old, I worked from home for a company I'd been with for six years. In June, I changed jobs and now I commute an hour each way, but I LOVE my job. That's not to say that I don't miss my children...I basically are them for two waking hours each day mon-fri....but not working is not an option for me, so at least info have to work, I'm in a position and at a company where I can grow.

ccam

I definitley don't love my job, but I don't hate it.  I'm sort of neutral about it - my work is boring, but I like the people I work with, which is a big change from my old job!  I still get what you're saying.  Especially after weekends like this past one, it's nice to get up, dressed and out of the house.  I still miss DS and can't wait to pick him up after work, but It's sort of a break for me.

itsmevkb

I do love my job.  I always assumed from a very early age that I would be mother and that I would also work and have a career.  My mom worked full-time and never stayed at home and my dad's grandmother not just worked but ran several businesses while raising four boys so I had good examples of working moms. 

When I was home on maternity leave with my first child I remember being surprised that I felt as though I could just stay home and be happy doing that.  I didn't end up staying home longer than the three months and found that going back to work was fairly easy for me and after that with each child I never even really considered staying home.  I know my kids are happy, I'm happy that they get more time with their dad than I ever got with mine and I'm happy in my career so I feel like it's the best of all worlds. 

Of course, that's not to say I wouldn't love to have a live-in housekeeper/cook ;-)

imoverit

PappsMcgee said:

I "like" my job, but LOVE my sense of freedom I have to just be myself again.  I posted this in the other thread, but going to work gives me the freedom to just be me, not a mom, and not a wife. I do so much other stuff at home, that it's actually a nice reprieve for me. I feel guilty saying that as I miss my daughter and look forward to seeing her each day I come home.... but it's still nice to play with other adults!

All of this. Just like the freedom of me when Im at work.

ancp27

I love my job.  I actually work from home and kept Callum home with me for the first 6 months but it got really hard, really fast.  He now goes to a sitter for 1/2 days and we both look forward to that time.  Sometimes I wish he went full days because my afternoons are really hard.  I really look forward to my "free" time.

mcgeeva

I love working as well. Only thing I wish I could change is having flex time and being able to work from home. Then I would reallllllly love my job. Days like today are bad bc it's snowing bad and work refused to close yet the gov't is closed. DS is the ONLY child at daycare and I Was just going to leave at 1..and my boss goes..if you leave your going to need to take a half day of pto. I mean seriously I an trying to save every minute for the next baby but not here. That is the only downside to me for working. The work itself I love. To find a job that is family friendly as well I'm sure people would work there forever.

LeoLauren

I love my son i just dont like the literal shit work of taking care of him. I hate changing diapers, i don't like nap time crying, watching him kick his feet all day is not fun to me.  While an 8.5 month old can't do much... i do love coming home to him and he claps his hands and squeals with glee... he's already bathed and i feed him which i love doing, we play, we snuggle then off to bed he goes. Its like the best of both worlds. I don't envy SAHM's at all. I LOVE the relief.  I do have the flexibility of my job to take him to his doctor's appointments and i try not to work on fridays so i have him for 3 days and the babysitter has him for 4. Its a great balance for me.

kbeach82

ancp27 said:

I love my job.  I actually work from home and kept Callum home with me for the first 6 months but it got really hard, really fast.  He now goes to a sitter for 1/2 days and we both look forward to that time.  Sometimes I wish he went full days because my afternoons are really hard.  I really look forward to my "free" time.

I worked from home the three days a week I wasn't in the office from the time V was 8 months (when I went back to work) until about a week before the twins were born. It was definitely much easier when he was little and napping longer/more frequently. Eventually, it got to the point when I had to work early mornings, nights, and weekends just to keep up. Exhausting! I am so much happier now that I am part time and I don't have to worry about trying to finish any of my work assignments on my days off since they are truly that.

kbeach82

mcgeeva said:

I love working as well. Only thing I wish I could change is having flex time and being able to work from home. Then I would reallllllly love my job. Days like today are bad bc it's snowing bad and work refused to close yet the gov't is closed. DS is the ONLY child at daycare and I Was just going to leave at 1..and my boss goes..if you leave your going to need to take a half day of pto. I mean seriously I an trying to save every minute for the next baby but not here. That is the only downside to me for working. The work itself I love. To find a job that is family friendly as well I'm sure people would work there forever.

That is tough. I'm very grateful to work for a company that values family (our CEO has 5 children himself). I hope your company makes steps towards becoming more family friendly in the future, or that you find a job with a company that does.

kbeach82

LeoLauren said:

I love my son i just dont like the literal shit work of taking care of him. I hate changing diapers, i don't like nap time crying, watching him kick his feet all day is not fun to me.  While an 8.5 month old can't do much... i do love coming home to him and he claps his hands and squeals with glee... he's already bathed and i feed him which i love doing, we play, we snuggle then off to bed he goes. Its like the best of both worlds. I don't envy SAHM's at all. I LOVE the relief.  I do have the flexibility of my job to take him to his doctor's appointments and i try not to work on fridays so i have him for 3 days and the babysitter has him for 4. Its a great balance for me.

This! I feel very lucky to be able to have what is a good work/home balance for me.

mcgeeva

kbeach82 yep I plan on looking for a new job while on maternity leave. Yesterday with the snow was reasons why I hate my job. Managing partner looks out the window and says..oh it looks okay still. You leave  a half hour early you need to use half a day of pto. First off I live an hour away he lives a mile away. Two I said I have to worry about my daycare lady getting her son home as well. It's not fair to her especially with my kid being the only one at daycare in the snow. Just very inconsiderate. All over a half hour..when my coworker with no kids left hours before.

DebbieM422

I do feel guilty, a bit, but I do believe that I'm a better mom b/c I do work.  It makes me appreicate the time that we do spend together. 

Mnerani

I love my job too. But I get to work from home in my yoga pants and see DS whenever I want throughout the day, so I'm not that hard core. I wonder how much I'd like it if I had to join the morning commute and leave him all day. But whatever you do, don't feel guilty about loving your job!

kbeach82

LeahB12 said:

Don't feel bad at all! I SAH and definitely have days that I wish I could go to work. I know that I'm happier staying home, but can I just pee by myself once a day please???

This made me laugh :-) I get all huffy when DH starts complaining about not "having any time to himself" when he tries to go to the bathroom alone on the weekends and V tags along. Apart from when I'm at work, I swear I haven't peed by myself more than a dozen times since V was born - almost 3 years ago!

kbeach82

mcgeeva said:

kbeach82 yep I plan on looking for a new job while on maternity leave. Yesterday with the snow was reasons why I hate my job. Managing partner looks out the window and says..oh it looks okay still. You leave  a half hour early you need to use half a day of pto. First off I live an hour away he lives a mile away. Two I said I have to worry about my daycare lady getting her son home as well. It's not fair to her especially with my kid being the only one at daycare in the snow. Just very inconsiderate. All over a half hour..when my coworker with no kids left hours before.

Grrr! That is so irritating. Good luck with your search over your maternity leave!

mcgeeva

kbeach82 said:

LeahB12 said:

Don't feel bad at all! I SAH and definitely have days that I wish I could go to work. I know that I'm happier staying home, but can I just pee by myself once a day please???

This made me laugh :-) I get all huffy when DH starts complaining about not "having any time to himself" when he tries to go to the bathroom alone on the weekends and V tags along. Apart from when I'm at work, I swear I haven't peed by myself more than a dozen times since V was born - almost 3 years ago!

So true! I love that I can't even pee now without having DS flush the toilet while I am still there My DH locks the door..i don't because he will freak out