I've had some reservations about how to express myself in this post, but I'm just gonna go for it!
I never in my life planned to be a "working mom" (that phrase makes me smirk a little because it's like saying a word twice, in a sense. Moms are ALWAYS working, its just the nature of us, we are constantly doing what we can to be there for our littles and it's exhausting). But for all intents and purposes, you know what "working mom" means in this post. Those with workplaces, jobs, you know.
Just like your life goes, my life hasn't gone exactly according to the plans I made. My lovely friend Katelyn and I have chatted a few times about how her five-year plan for the next stage of her life always gets scrambled by a loving God. That's how it's gone for me, too. But the changes are part of what makes life so beautiful.
I don't intend to be a working mom forever, and there's more than one reason why I'm a working professional at the current moment. But the thing is, becoming a mother while simultaneously growing in my career as a teacher has been one of the most INCREDIBLE experiences (and challenges!) for my little family.
By the way, This post is not meant to be an endorsement or condemnation of any sort of working decision of any mother anywhere.
It's just, quite simply, my story. OUR story, of Kevin & Charlie & me.
I want to share a few of my many thoughts about my experience being a working mom.
#1--I capitalize on the precious time I do spend with my family, and I genuinely feel that they do the same for me. Our relationships are growing. When I'm dressing baby munch in the mornings, I chat with him and kiss his cheeks and tousle his hair. I tell him that I hope he has a fantastic day with Grandma and that he makes his uncles laugh (cuz golly I sure know those brothers of mine are going to make him laugh). I spend the first ten minutes waking up talking with my husband and holding him tight. At lunch I call my husband and he gives me an update about his day thus far, including how Charlie was on the ride to Grandma's house, etc. After work I pick up my boy, chat with my parents and siblings for a little, and make the trek back to my little home. Evenings are spent cooking dinner as a threesome (our baby is mostly job shadowing in the kitchen right now, but he'll be a sous chef before you know it), chatting about what we learned and experienced while we were out, reading stories, singing songs, studying scriptures, listening to the Eagles and Mindy Gledhill, and feeding that chunky kid till his eyes flutter shut. We tuck him into bed and spend the last hours tidying the house, packing lunches, doing dishes, writing blogposts, sneaking a kiss in between it all, and crashing at our own bedtime (when we get to it). Here's a selfie of me with a freshly bathed Charlie baby--see my tired eyes and bedraggled hair? Comes with the territory.
#2--We look for extra time to spend together. We're not perfect at it, but when we can, we go for it. Kevin met me for dinner during my 45 minute dinner break during Parent Teacher Conferences several weeks back. Here's me and my kidlet standing behind my desk in my classroom.
#3--I'm not the first, and I'm not alone. Two incredible women in my life, my mom and my mother-in-law, both found themselves in the workplace while being mothers of small children. And might I say, they ROCKED it at work AND at home! At my school I am surrounded by incredible women who are, additionally, hard-working mothers of both small children and adult children and stepchildren and I LOVE the sisterhood and support I feel from them.
Additionally, Charlie gets to spend the day with my incredible mother (who knows from her own experience what it's like for me). She's over the moon about being a grandma, and my son couldn't be in better hands. Just look at the two of them together...
#4--I often call myself a "substitute mom" of 64 BEAUTIFUL children. For 6 or so hours a day, my responsibility and my joy (and, admittedly, my anxiety) is to look after these youngsters as I guide them the best I know how in their academic, social, and emotional progression. Any amount of words are insufficient to describe how teaching has blessed my capacity to love my own child by loving and supporting other children. Additionally, I have learned a great deal from the parents of my own students as many of them volunteer in my classroom and in other correspondence I have with them. And with that, I FREAKING LOVE seeing my students figure out how to make a slides presentation on a habitat, how to write a drama, how to read in a storytelling voice. Teaching is the most taxing and rewarding profession I know of.
#6--I'm constantly comforted by a loving God who knows my heart, knows my situation, knows my husband, knows my kid, knows the kids I teach and knows what each of us are capable of becoming. And he knows all of us need each other right now. And I trust in that.
Lastly...
Shout out to all moms, everywhere. You're loved. Your kids are blessed by every effort you make to provide for their temporal and emotional and spiritual needs. You rock.
I never in my life planned to be a "working mom" (that phrase makes me smirk a little because it's like saying a word twice, in a sense. Moms are ALWAYS working, its just the nature of us, we are constantly doing what we can to be there for our littles and it's exhausting). But for all intents and purposes, you know what "working mom" means in this post. Those with workplaces, jobs, you know.
Just like your life goes, my life hasn't gone exactly according to the plans I made. My lovely friend Katelyn and I have chatted a few times about how her five-year plan for the next stage of her life always gets scrambled by a loving God. That's how it's gone for me, too. But the changes are part of what makes life so beautiful.
I don't intend to be a working mom forever, and there's more than one reason why I'm a working professional at the current moment. But the thing is, becoming a mother while simultaneously growing in my career as a teacher has been one of the most INCREDIBLE experiences (and challenges!) for my little family.
By the way, This post is not meant to be an endorsement or condemnation of any sort of working decision of any mother anywhere.
It's just, quite simply, my story. OUR story, of Kevin & Charlie & me.
I want to share a few of my many thoughts about my experience being a working mom.
#1--I capitalize on the precious time I do spend with my family, and I genuinely feel that they do the same for me. Our relationships are growing. When I'm dressing baby munch in the mornings, I chat with him and kiss his cheeks and tousle his hair. I tell him that I hope he has a fantastic day with Grandma and that he makes his uncles laugh (cuz golly I sure know those brothers of mine are going to make him laugh). I spend the first ten minutes waking up talking with my husband and holding him tight. At lunch I call my husband and he gives me an update about his day thus far, including how Charlie was on the ride to Grandma's house, etc. After work I pick up my boy, chat with my parents and siblings for a little, and make the trek back to my little home. Evenings are spent cooking dinner as a threesome (our baby is mostly job shadowing in the kitchen right now, but he'll be a sous chef before you know it), chatting about what we learned and experienced while we were out, reading stories, singing songs, studying scriptures, listening to the Eagles and Mindy Gledhill, and feeding that chunky kid till his eyes flutter shut. We tuck him into bed and spend the last hours tidying the house, packing lunches, doing dishes, writing blogposts, sneaking a kiss in between it all, and crashing at our own bedtime (when we get to it). Here's a selfie of me with a freshly bathed Charlie baby--see my tired eyes and bedraggled hair? Comes with the territory.
#2--We look for extra time to spend together. We're not perfect at it, but when we can, we go for it. Kevin met me for dinner during my 45 minute dinner break during Parent Teacher Conferences several weeks back. Here's me and my kidlet standing behind my desk in my classroom.
#3--I'm not the first, and I'm not alone. Two incredible women in my life, my mom and my mother-in-law, both found themselves in the workplace while being mothers of small children. And might I say, they ROCKED it at work AND at home! At my school I am surrounded by incredible women who are, additionally, hard-working mothers of both small children and adult children and stepchildren and I LOVE the sisterhood and support I feel from them.
Additionally, Charlie gets to spend the day with my incredible mother (who knows from her own experience what it's like for me). She's over the moon about being a grandma, and my son couldn't be in better hands. Just look at the two of them together...
#4--I often call myself a "substitute mom" of 64 BEAUTIFUL children. For 6 or so hours a day, my responsibility and my joy (and, admittedly, my anxiety) is to look after these youngsters as I guide them the best I know how in their academic, social, and emotional progression. Any amount of words are insufficient to describe how teaching has blessed my capacity to love my own child by loving and supporting other children. Additionally, I have learned a great deal from the parents of my own students as many of them volunteer in my classroom and in other correspondence I have with them. And with that, I FREAKING LOVE seeing my students figure out how to make a slides presentation on a habitat, how to write a drama, how to read in a storytelling voice. Teaching is the most taxing and rewarding profession I know of.
#6--I'm constantly comforted by a loving God who knows my heart, knows my situation, knows my husband, knows my kid, knows the kids I teach and knows what each of us are capable of becoming. And he knows all of us need each other right now. And I trust in that.
Lastly...
Shout out to all moms, everywhere. You're loved. Your kids are blessed by every effort you make to provide for their temporal and emotional and spiritual needs. You rock.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLove you Mik. Beautifully said. ❤
ReplyDeleteLove you too <3 (So I actually can't see which Borens are posting this... I'm assuming Ted & Kelli, but if you're somebody else, let me know haha :)
DeleteAmen to what you said about Charlie being in good hands. :) It must be fun for you to get to talk to your mom and bros a bit every day as well.
ReplyDelete