The Evolution of a Working Mom

So I am into my fourth week at work. Wow. Nearly a month under my belt and aside from getting lost in the parking lot and mixed signals causing my daughter to be forgotten

The truth is, I was a reluctant entrepreneur.

after school, we are adjusting amazingly well. I worked at home for over 8years – EIGHT. I can’t believe it. That was never the plan. The truth is, I was a reluctant entrepreneur. I loved the high level thinking and collaboration of my corporate job but the commute and the inflexbility just didn’t fit my life with young kids.

I loved the years I spent working from home. They enabled me flexibility I wouldn’t have otherwise had and a role in my children’s young lives many moms only dream of. However, aside from the actual running a business 24/7/365 there were other things that working from home meant for my family that I now realize may not have always been a positive.

My babies are growing up.

1. I am always there for my kids. This seems like a good thing, right? And it is…to a point. My biggest fear about taking on a 9-5 office job was that my kids wouldn’t be able to cope. What I now realize was that my constantly being there meant they didn’t have to. No problem solving, no accountability, no independence because I was always there to fill in the blanks or pick up the pieces.

There were things that working from home meant for my family that I now realize may not have always been a positive.

Now? Homework gets done, snacks get made and problems get solved all on their own. My 14 year-old son even made dinner for my daughter and her friend because they were headed to soccer and I wasn’t going to be home. Yes, it was mac and cheese from a box but he did it all on his own. I didn’t even ask. He added a clementine and chocolate milk and the girls were thrilled! When I was home the kid couldn’t even cut cheese let alone prepare a whole meal.

2. We have all the time in the world. I was so lucky to have all of that time with my children as they grew up but being around them ALL THE TIME also meant it was just routine. Now, I miss them. When I see them I want to be with them. I get more snuggles and more time when we are engaged. And I find my kids are more open to that with me as well. We even talked about one day a month I will have a “date” with my daughter and another day I will do the same with my son. An hour at a coffee shop over a cookie and some hot chocolate will be our time. Before? Because we had all the time most of it was not intentional. I miss it but I am finding I am making better use of the time we do have now.

3. The world is a big, big place. My kids are 14 and 11. They are not babies and they are both very independent and confident in character. However, they are MY babies. Being home meant I kept track of them and worried and managed them – a lot. However, I simply can’t do that anymore. I am not there so I have to trust that they will figure it out. The other day when my daughter wasn’t picked up from school (mixed signals that got sorted…without me) she didn’t panic, she figured it out. She did it. On her own. And everything was fine. Without me.

I am not saying it is perfect or easy or better. What I am saying is that it has been good for us in the exact opposite ways than I would have imagined. What I am saying is that they were ready.

And so was I.