As a working mom there are many days that I go to bed and I feel like I just completely failed at motherhood. Many days I sit in my car and want to cry because I chose work over family. Let’s face it, living the working mom life is hard, and the sacrifices that we make leave a lot of moms with so much mom guilt that it’s crippling at times. Well, this past week, I finally won! When Saturday came, I felt like such a super mom because I finally had a good week as a mother.
Dr. Seuss week is huge, and as room mom for both kid’s classes, I felt the need to do something for the week of activities! Now, March is the busiest month at my company, and I had 2 kids who were just getting over the flu. But in this one week, along with work and extracurricular activities, I actually:
- Did homework with the kids throughout the week instead of the night before it’s due.
- Went over sight words in the morning and evening
- Read a bedtime story instead of letting YouTube read one for me.
- Made sure someone from the family red Dr. Seuss books in Garon’s class.
- Signed dad up to cook Green Eggs and Ham.
- Made Dr. Seuss Treats (Cat in the Hat Cheese sticks, Hop on POPcorn, and 1 Fish 2 Fish Goldfish Snacks) for both classes.
- Took yet another sick kid to the doctor.
- Attended a Parent/Teacher conference for Miss Reign.
- Folded all the Laundry (THIS!!).
- Cooked at least 1 time during the week.
- Styled Reign’s Hair more than once.
- One night, I went to bed before 12:00AM.
It’s honestly not about the things I did, but about the things I didn’t do. I didn’t go to bed feeling as if I yelled at my kids too much. I didn’t go to bed thinking I should have gone over their letters one more time. I didn’t go to bed wondering if they were going to hate me for having my computer out instead of sitting on the floor with them. I didn’t feel like a horrible room mom, and I didn’t feel like I was failing at this working mom life.
I went to bed feeling good, successful, like Supermom!! Because of this, all weekend, I have celebrated the feeling of winning, and I have celebrated the small wins that this week brought me. Every moment won’t always go as planned, but, guess what mom? You. Are. Awesome.
One night, on a low, when I was so tired that I chose to find the book “Good Night Moon” on YouTube instead of reading it myself to my son, I sat there listening as he watched and inside I said. “Asia, What are you doing? Are you so tired that you can’t read a book?” I felt so bad, but my 4 year-old son, with this big grin and look of love in his eyes, looked at me when it was over, and said “Mommy, that was the BEST!!” and he hugged and kissed me. Those words meant so much to me, and although I thought I was failing, he showed me that even the small things can equal wins in this working mom life.
So working mom, don’t let the guilt win. You are killing life right now, and your kids love you for all the sacrifices that you make for them. Enjoy the victories, and remember, YOU. ARE. A. GREAT. MOM
What’s your mom win??
Love this! I was riding the elevator with the CEO of my company this week, and he asked me my plans for the weekend, so I listed the classes, birthday parties, play dates, etc. in stride. I then asked him how things were going for him, he said “busy but not as busy as you, being a working mom is the hardest job there is”. I was stunned, and to be honest I had a little more pep in my step for the rest of the day.
We are so hard on ourselves, and sometimes all it takes is for someone to remind us how awesome we are!