I am a Working Mom

Today, I was asked if I wish I could stay at home with Allyson. This question caught me off guard. It really is comparable to asking a Stay-At-Home mom if they wish they worked outside the home.

It's a personal choice.

I Am a Working Mom.

Honestly, I have very little support. Just about all of my close friends with young children have chosen to be stay-at-home moms. All my blogging buddies, friends at church, hmmm...I'm having trouble thinking of ANY of my close friends with young ones that work.

I have worked very hard to be where I am in my career. My choices have come with many sacrifices. How did I get here?

Well, it all began when I was a kid. I knew I'd go to college. I got pregnant very young, but I was adament about finishing college on time.

I had a single mantra to carry me through. "Men die and men leave. I will not depend on a man to support me."

I became a teacher in the Fall of 1999. I received a Master's Degree in 2002. I taught middle school until January 2008. And, I currently have my dream job as a media specialist (school librarian to those of you that didn't realize the title changed. :))

To become a media specialist, I had to get an add-on certification in Instructional Technology/Media and pass the GACE and go to FIVE interviews and get rejected four times. But, I am finally where I want to be in my career.

I'm saying this to remind myself and anyone that thinks bad of "working" moms that we working moms have a lot to offer our children.

Because of my income and career:

• I can help support my family.
• I can provide a lifestyle that will provide my child with many experiences that will help her to learn and grow.
• I can instill an example and a drive for her future goals in her career.
• Because I went to college she will be twice as likely to attend college herself.
• I can show her the benefits of working.
• I can also show her that she will be able to support herself and be independent.

Could I quit my job and stay home? Yes. But, I'm not going to.

Being a working mom is a personal choice. This is a decision that I have made and I feel it is the best decision for my family.

Do I sometimes feel guilty for the time I'm not spending with my child? Yeah, sometimes. But, I make up for it by making the most out of the time we do have together.

How do I feel about letting someone else raise my child? What!? Someone else is not raising my child! She may be at daycare having a story read to her, a meal served to her, or being taught to wash her hands. But, her father and I are raising her.

We are the ones faithfully taking her to Bible class and church. We are the ones instilling values and expectations for her behavior. WE are raising her. The daycare is just that. They are taking CARE of her during the DAY.

So, as you can see I have some pretty strong feelings about my choice. I certainly do not judge anyone for making a choice to stay home. So, likewise, please don't judge those of us who work. We all make choices and decisions that can be hard and have pros and cons either way.

It's simply a personal choice.