Balancing Work and Mommy

I think I am going to officially say farewell to MySpace so I wanted to pull my posts from that to somewhere so they are not forever lost...as if they bare some level of importance...anyway, it's interesting for me to go back and read them and see how things have changed and how I still agree:

Though no co-workers have shared animosity based on my being the only employee with children in the home, I certainly "stress" about the burden I place on them as my work attendance is not as consistent as theirs because a call from daycare or an earache pulls me out of the office in a split second. I liken it to the frustration I feel toward smokers who have self-imposed "breaks" that are not awarded to anyone else. I don't want the perception of my work ethic compromised because my children are my top priority.

As a university career counselor with two walk-in days a week that I share with another counselor, I leave her to handle the walk-in traffic alone on many days. Last week, my four-year-old was in the office for an hour before I took her to the doctor for an ear infection, and she walked in and out of a pre-scheduled mock interview. This week, my two-year-old wandered around the office before a doctor's visit that her father took her to, while I tried to catch-up on emails from students before my appointments started. This is just one of the days when my husband and I try to balance who sacrifices time at work to take care of our precious daughters. He is also the only one in his office with children.

Another conflict created in balancing work and family is finding time to exercise. Before having children my husband and I worked out every morning before work. To do that now (and have time to fix multiple ponytails), I have to be at the gym by 4:30 a.m. I feel guilty going after work because that is the only quality time I have with my family during the week. With a two-year-old who rarely sleeps through the night, 4:30 comes mighty early, and I typically opt for sleep or some much needed quiet time.

Is all of this affecting my career? Maybe. I used to get called on to take up new projects and initiatives, and now they're being offered to younger, kid-free co-workers. On one hand, that's a blessing because I do not have the time to take on more…on the other, my pride cringes a bit. Is all of this affecting my being a good mother? Isn't that an age-old debate? One day, I'm convinced I'm a great example of balance and determination to my daughters. The next, one of them pleads to stay home and play, and I'm convicted that I am short changing their impressionable spirits as I let someone else "raise them."

(Original Posting Date: March 8, 2007)

Yep...still dealing with the same ol stuff...except now the girls are 6 and 4 and Jack is part of the equation!