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You Know You're A Working Mom When...Really?

I recently read an article by Rebecca Rose on http://rockfordparent.com.  Her article was entitled You know you are a working mom when.....I'm not so into her list.  It is far too negative for me so here is my own list.

You know you're a working mom when.....
You set really high goals for yourself, and you demand the best of yourself every day as a wife, mother, professional and friend.  You may have days where you can't be everything to everyone, but you have expertly learned to prioritize and make sure your goals are eventually met and all needs are met as they arise.

You know you're a working mom when....
You feel like you have to complete a marathon in sprint pace every morning.  (This I agree with her on).  Mornings are tough, and it seems like no matter how early I get up a curveball is thrown and I'm late.  Oh well...better luck tomorrow.  I also know this will change drastically when CJ is home from deployment.  A little help with dressing the minions is always welcome.

You know you're a working mom when....
You work your butt off all day knowing your kids are safe with someone you trust.  This can be family, a nanny, an at-home daycare or a daycare center.  A working mom should have the trust in her provider to not have to spend all day worrying about children when she should be focused on her career.  It is ok to enjoy your work and not spend all day worrying about or missing your children.  This does not mean you don't love them.

You know you're a working mom when....
You can expertly create a healthy and liked meal in under 15 minutes.  Forget Rachel Ray.  Tonight I made whole wheat bagel sandwiches with ham, pickles and cream cheese.  I also allowed my sous chef, the microwave, to warm up some peas.  I'm a bit hippy so most of what I made was using organic, non GMO products.  I also love making vegetarian chili, spaghetti and turkey meatballs and burgers on the George Foreman because I'm not about to start a grill for the 2 burgers it takes to feed our little family right now.  Take it from me, you can do healthy organic food without spending a ton of time in the kitchen.

You know you're a working mom when....
Bedtime for the kids is the best.  This is the time for snuggles and small talk before they drift off to bed.  This is when we read books, look at our family picture books to see Daddy and cuddle.  It also means I get time to myself.  These few hours after the kids are to bed are my only me time. With CJ deployed and no family around it is all on me all day and all evening, but at night I get to drop the load I've been carrying.  I get to lay in my bed and read, write or play dumb games.  It's not a time to pay bills or do laundry and dishes.  It is my time to recover because tomorrow whether I'm healthy or sick the entire load is back on me.

You know you're a working mom when....
You an cram a lot of things into a weekend.  Playing with kids, laundry, dishes, meals, shopping.  There is a ton to be done, but you make it work like nobody else. I let my kids help with dishes and laundry.  They are horrible at them, but it makes them feel proud.  They are at the age right now where folding rags is fun for a few minutes, and I will take full advantage of that.  When I go shopping they go too so we are still bonding and making memories even if we aren't going to museums, the zoo or sporting events every weekend.

Finally, you know you're a working mom when....
You know when to ask for help.  This was a hard one for me to learn.  I have grown up with the suck-it-up-and-deal mentality.  After about of month of CJ being gone most of the time during his predeployment trainings I learned I didn't have time for the kids and all of the housework so I now pay someone to clean for 4 hours every other week.  It is enough to keep my head above water, but too little for me to ever be able to sit down.  I spend the extra time with the kids.  During this deployment they need to know I am here for them.  They need me to stop what I'm doing and give them the attention they would typically get from CJ.

Working moms, we are some of the fiercest people in the world.  We don't take no for an answer, and we are experts at making the impossible happen.  Many of us do it because we love our families and our careers.  We will not let anything stand in the way of us being great as a mother, wife, professional and friend.

"The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one's appreciation of fundamental things like home, and love, and understanding companionship." Amelia Earhart


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