So this morning, I give myself permission to push back the chores and push back the work, because I have that luxury. I’m sitting in my jammies as lunch time approaches, snuggled with a blanket. And I’m playing on the internet. (Ok, half playing, half working/networking.) I read an article that a friend posted about the “10 Best Companies for Working Moms.” And while it was interesting to scan through, my attention and my heartstrings were instantly tugged at when I saw the following teaser placed between the paragraphs: “’I’m Jealous of My Nanny’: A mom’s honest confession.”
Instantly, I felt relieved that I’ve never had to hire a nanny and that I have the opportunity to be home with my daughter and still have a successful business that helps my family. And in the same thought string, I remembered a mom that I worked with when I was still working as an autism specialist. She was the bread-winner of her family and they needed two incomes to maintain their lifestyle. She had a wonderful nanny who would bring her son to therapy. Mom was always there for her meetings with me and would be there for our home sessions when schedules worked out. But, I remember the day she was crying in my office because her kids would reach for the nanny to hold them, even when mom was already holding them. How they would cry when the nanny left, how she wished she could just stay home with them, that she was missing so much of their baby/toddlerhood.
The irony?? That teaser line followed up the write up of the company this mom worked for… it IS one of the Top 10 companies for working moms… and yet this mom was in my office in tears about having to work.
I’m not saying that all moms should stay home. I have friends who need to go to work for their sanity and know of kids who really need the nurturing abilities of the nanny. What I am saying is that if you are in tears about having to leave your child/children to go to work, then maybe something needs to change? Maybe you can telecommute. Maybe you can change your hours. Maybe you can change your lifestyle so that you don’t “need” that income. Or maybe you can start your own home-based business… either as a solopreneur or as a network marketer/direct seller to either replace your income or subsidize the amount that you truly “need.” Even better… you might actually surpass your current income, work less hours, and fit your work around your life instead of trying to fit life around your work.
Not sure how you could do this? Let’s chat for a bit about affordability of staying home, what you enjoy, etc. and see about coming up with a game plan that can help you live your best life.