I live between two worlds: The world of Stay At Home Mom and the World of Working Mom. I am self employed working varying hours from 25-35 hours a week. I have an amazing Home Helper, which I guess I should call Nanny but there is such guilt with that word.
When we choose to work and have someone else take care of our kids it’s hard on the mom especially. You pray for someone who will love your kids with their whole heart, that will have your value system, honor your parenting rules and just be a great person.
And then when you get it you struggle with watching your kids love someone that isn’t you. When your kids are little you may even have to hear them call their Sitter Mama… that’s hard. If you work too much then you will be exhausted when you get home and your kids will see you as the boring old mom and your daycare or Sitter as the fun one.
I’ve learned over the past 5 years it’s all a balance. I have had periods where I have had no help and periods where I had a ton of help. You learn to be a parent by default or design no matter what your circumstance. Default just lets life happen, design understands God’s intention for your work.
Whether you are a single parent, working parent, or stay at home parent you can be a parent by design. God has given you this responsibility of grooming your children, and caring for their needs. We cannot have guilt or compare ourselves to other moms who might stay at home. We are all different and we all have different strengths.
Keeping your family as a higher priority over your work doesn’t necessarily mean you are a stay at home mom. For working moms you can design your life so that you can be valuable in your work and valuable at home.
I think it starts with the journey of being our BEST SELF. God has given us a great PURPOSE… and that is Grooming our Children for Success. Raising strong, caring, independent, self disciplined children into young adults. In order to do this we must be our own strong independent, self disciplined, responsible, caring BEST SELVES. This may start with taking a strong look at our own stuff.
I was blessed this past weekend to get an AWAKENING of areas I needed to work on. I attended www.firststepstosuccess.com. If you are looking for help in getting your life in order, being a better you and a better parent I highly encourage you to check it out.
Remember, being the best mom doesn’t equate to how many school events you went to, or how many gifts you gave your children. Being the best mom starts with being the best you so that you can love, honor and help to grow children who can be their best selves too.
God Bless you MOM.
I am rooting for you!
P.S. Here is a little comic relief with a Statistical WAKE UP CALL to How Important the Mom Is.
Note to Family:
Mommy’s leaving for a little bit but don’t worry I have hired the following crew to take my place while I am gone:
Dietitian – to menu plan healthy and delicious meals
Cook – to prepare and cook all those meals
Nutritionist – to fill in all the gaps in your nutrition with the right supplements
Nurse – to assess and bandage when someone gets hurt, bit, bumped or bruised but you seem to get hurt daily these days
Kisser – to kiss all your Boo Boos
Essential oil expert – to make sure you have the right oils for all your ailments
Massage Therapist – to rub down your sore muscles and massage oils on your feet and back at night
Driver – to take you to your classes and fun events
Dish Doer – because at 2 and 5 your dish doing still has a lot to be desired
Laundry Helper – a must helper because we know Joshua you have this thing for clean pajamas
Cleaning Lady – so mommy doesn’t come home to a disaster
Grocery Shopper – with the amount of food this family eats this position is primary
Stylist – because we can’t have you going out with mismatched and backwards clothes
Singer – to sing your favorite songs to you
Bathroom Patrol – to make sure toilet seats don’t have pee on them, teeth get brushed and hands and faces get cleaned
Librarian – to pick the best books and read to you daily
Teacher – to continue your learning and school work
TV Monitor – to make sure we aren’t watching more TV than we should
Seamstress – to mend and sew your clothes… not that mommy does that now
Gardner – to have fresh foods daily
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. It’s strictly for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes ONLY. The products I talk about are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. Any information I give you about them is for informational or entertainment purposes only. They have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Please seek the qualified health professional of your choice when making health decisions for yourself, your family and your pets.
