Making arrangements to get kids to and from school, attending school functions (these happen much more than I remember as a child), preparing meals, yard work on the weekends, projects due for school…and the list goes on…

I face a daily struggle with the choice I make to work and raise my three kids. Juggling my work with responsibilities at home is a continuous challenge, but one I accept and embrace with all my heart. Do I wish I could spend every day loving on my kids rather than answering emails and attending meetings? Absolutely! However, when I teach one of the many prenatal class offerings at TWH and receive a compliment from a mom filled with gratitude that I helped prepare for her growing family, I feel a sense of accomplishment. These moments help make the journey and struggle worthwhile. You have to find your ‘why’ sometimes and that is mine!

I once looked up the statistics regarding working moms. In 1975 (when my mom had my older brother), there were 47% of moms in the workforce.  The US Department of Labor statistics from 2017 showed that 70% of moms now work and raise their children with the majority of those working full-time.  We all struggle with getting things done, even those blessed to stay at home with their kids. I took a year off from work to help my children transition from a big move.  Even when not working, it was a struggle to accomplish daily tasks around the house and take care of everyone, let alone myself. No one said stay-at-home moms have it easy, whew!
Whether we are working and juggling the day job with the parenting job, or at home juggling daily tasks, we all want the same thing—being the best mom we can be each moment. When we do spend time with our kids, let us put down away our distractions (aka phones) and spend good quality time with them.  It is not the amount of time they remember, but the quality of time spent together. They remember the zoo, museum, water park trips, reading books, playing games and the list goes on. How special did we make them feel?  How many times did we hug them or tell them we love them?  I remind myself to think of these simple statements every time I feel the tug at my heart and the sense that I am not doing enough.

Let us all try to be content with what we accomplish in the day, working mom or not. We all try our best and may have to re-evaluate our expectations if we cannot achieve this sense of contentment. Keep going, momma. You can do it!
 
Statistics taken from: https://www.dol.gov/wb/stats/stats_data.htm