A Working Mom

Not so long ago I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have kids. If you asked me, I said something like “maybe someday but not anytime soon.”

All of that has changed, of course. Now I am a mom to a wonderful little boy. He’s smiley, curious, strong, and easy going. He sleeps through the night most of the time, he goes back and forth between a bottle and nursing like a pro, and he’s eating solids without issue. He’s starting to sit unassisted and getting up on all fours to rock it out in that pre-crawling motion. Oh, and he has Down Syndrome. It was a bit of a shock at first, I’ll admit. But he is all we know and he is ours just the way he is.

I’m fortunate to have a job where I work from home. So far, 9 months into his life outside my body, I’ve managed to keep up my full-time job responsibilities and have him with me every day. It isn’t easy.

There are times I wish I could do things differently. But bills persist and although my heart leaps at the idea of being a stay-at-home mom who takes on freelance contract work by choice (and can step away from a full-time commitment), I am a working mom; both in the traditional sense of the word work and in the mom-role of work.

Here’s how I stay sane:

1. To-do lists are my friend.
2. Snuggles and kisses are the best inspiration.
3. Singing a nursery rhyme or playing with my boy on the floor help me step away from the mundane of the work day.
4. Working efficiently is key.
5. Remember the “why” – Why am I on the computer right now? A paycheck. But there’s a bonus to my paycheck … my boy is just a few feet away playing with toys. I can talk to him, babble at him, sing with him, snuggle him, simply see him.

Being a mom is the most rewarding thing I have ever experienced. He makes me a better person. I’m more understanding and patient. I’ve learned to adjust on the fly and come up with creative solutions. All of which make me better at my paying job, too.