5 Realizations of a Working Mom Recently Back at Work

You will have to forgive the lack of posts lately – I have been getting “back into the saddle” of being a full-time mom and full-time employee. My last month has consisted of me dropping quite a few balls (the ones we try to keep up in the air) and coming to some stark realizations:

1. The label “working mom,” “stay at home mom,” or “working mom staying at home” – all describe the same phenomenon – no matter what work you do, where you do it, or for how long you work- you are still a full-time mom and full-time worker.

2. When you work full-time your budget goes out the window. As many of you know we attempted a budget challenge this summer – WHEN I WAS OFF WORK – and I had the time to try and save money. Now I hardly have the time to shop (which I guess saves money in the long run) let alone check receipts, or use coupons, when I do.

3. When you work full-time you might feel like you are dressing up and getting out of the house, but you might just look like more of a slob then you did when staying at home in your sweats. Why? Well obviously more people see you AND you are way more likely to forget a key item of your outfit (earrings? nope; watch? oops; lipstick? forgot that too; messy hair? yep; mismatched socks? of course; smeared in food on slacks? yes, I did manage to get that).

4. While back at work I have developed a horrible personality transplant. I feel more ditsy (“Hello Dad? Yes, I almost forgot your birthday because I can’t keep track of when the bills are due, let alone remember important dates”); more grumpy (“Please don’t tell me your problems, because I have my own and half the time I am wracked with guilt about being at work”), and less patient (“Are you really going to make me pay for child care to sit through this pointless meeting”)?

5. On the upside when back working I have new found respect and empathy for every other parent experiencing the same apprehension that I do when saying good-bye to a very sad toddler that I leave every morning. In some ways this has made me more open to others and sharing the war stories of parenthood with all those that have survived before me – so God Bless you all, if you have survived so can I.