Dear Working Mommy,
Thank you for splitting yourself so you can feed the family financially and physically. I know it is tough to juggle two roles at the same time. So much so sometimes you think you might have split personalities.
There is just so little time to do everything at once. And the golden question is how do you know which to prioritize? Everyone will tell you that your child comes first over your job but it isn’t that black and white all the time. Do you go for your performance appraisal meeting or your daughter’s ballet recital for the 10th time this year?
Ah, then there’s the guilt trip. You feel guilty enough for not spending enough time with your little one without having someone shoving the guilt in your face. Reminders all over social media and parenting magazines on how it is better for the child’s growth if the mother stays at home, eats your heart and soul away at every word. As if that isn’t enough reminding that you are missing her first giggle, her first word, her first day at daycare.
You are missing her first giggle, her first word, her first day at daycare.
Nobody knows how hard you work at balancing between a good mother and a good employee. You pat your little one to sleep while with another free hand, typing furiously away on your reports. You tried hard not to nod off in the meeting because you stayed up all night as the little one couldn’t sleep due to teething. You wore your sweater on a summer day because you need to hide the vomit stain from little one this morning – it’s either late for work or an old blouse from the bottom of your laundry basket – you had forgotten to do your laundry last weekend.
You accept every promotion with guilt, with pay raises comes increase time away from your child. You dodge every business trips like the plague even though you know it will hurt your chances to be made the partnership. Over the weekend, you bring work home because you couldn’t like the other single coworkers work their asses off and had their dinners in the office to meet the deadlines – you want to be home just in time so you can kiss your little one goodnight.
Every single time you accept a social appointment, your head is swarm with worries that you never get to relax until you get home. Is the babysitter watching her? Has she slept yet? Did the babysitter remember that she needs her night light on? Your coworkers kept piling alcoholic drinks on you when he knows you are still breastfeeding. And not to mention the dirty look your boss gave you whenever you look at your watch for the fifth time in the first happy hour.
Is the babysitter watching her? Has she slept yet? Did the babysitter remember that she needs her night light on?
As for babysitters, they are a blessing as well as a pain. It’s a hit and misses whether you hire a good babysitter, never mind the right one. You tear yourself away from her pitiful cries and pass her over to a total stranger. When you found the perfect nanny with the perfect credentials and the perfect chemistry with your little one, you fear that your daughter will start calling her mommy instead of you. Why? Because you are never around. Your heart aches when she reaches out for her nanny instead of you, that she cries when the nanny leaves and when she draws her nanny instead of you.
I can feel your pain, Working mommy. It’s hard to leave for work when your little one is still asleep in her cot and come home to your sound asleep baby. You have made sacrifices that nobody sees and nobody praises you for. You gave up your precious time with your little one so that she can have a better secure future so that she can one day go to Harvard and not worry about her school fees.
So thank you, mommy, for all the unseen sacrifices you have made, all the aches every time your heart contracts and guilt trips you have taken just so for the sake of your family.
Regards,
Kally@MiddleMe.net
*Did you check out my Letter To Stay-at-home Mom?
Can’t get enough of MiddleMe? You can find me sharing my thoughts here as well:
Instagram @kallymiddleme
Twitter (MiddleMe_net)
FaceBook (MiddleMe.net)
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/kallytay
Best things in life are meant to be shared, start spreading MiddleMe around, after all, sharing is caring.
Wow ! So beautiful !!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much and welcome to MiddleMe!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wrote a letter to stay at home mom and I thought it is only right that I wrote one for the working mom as well. All mothers should be appreciated.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Really touching and realistic as well ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you and welcome to MiddleMe!
LikeLiked by 1 person
thanks! come and visit my blog! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just did! Absolutely wonderful blog!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you enjoyed it!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you mommy! Oh and thank you Middle me lol! Great post! Keep up the good work! Xx 🙏💯💕✨
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for the encouragement, dear Tammy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re certainly welcome always😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for this post. Most of us women have walked the same path, in our own way. And it takes us many years before this traveling part of our life is over. But when it comes to the end of it, we look back and we find it so emotional and we cannot believe that they are grown up, being professional and having their own life. It becomes happiness for us mothers one day!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Being a mother, our path never ends. Even when our children are grown up, married and have kids of their own, they will forever in our eyes, be our precious babies. My hubby woes on how I gave up my career for this family, I always gently remind him “I can always find a new job but I can’t always give birth.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Congratulations, Kally
I have nominated your blog for the Real Neat Blog award.
More about this nomination is at
https://lashiniblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/10/real-neat-blog-award-congratulations-nominees/ 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for the nomination, Lashini! You’re awesome!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome Kally…you are awesome too😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved this. I almost cried reading it, and I’m not even a Mom yet.
My husband and I are planning for children in a few years, and I know that I will want to be a working Mom. We’ve talked about me staying home, but I think what will be best for me is continuing my career while growing our family.
I’m not sure if society or my own personality is to blame for the fact that I’m already feeling guilty about this decision, and my children don’t even exist yet.
In any case, I truly enjoyed this post. Thank you for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Kelsey for sharing with us your personal decision. Whether you choose to become a stay at home or a working mum, it doesn’t make you less of a mummy. Even as a mother, you should be able to live the life you want to live but with inclusion of your children. All mummies give their best, and don’t even feel guilty that you want to work. Most importantly, happy mummy, happy baby!
LikeLiked by 1 person
LikeLike
Beautiful post kelly. As a working mom it does speak to me. Did took one year off to be with my son when he was a baby and I was lucky to have a job that aloud me to work from my home once in a while. That made it a lot easier. Because like you said it is not always easy to be a working mom. Thankfully our brains seemed pretty good at multitasking! Great read. Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your comment. I’m currently half-half working from home mom. Even when I’m working across my daughter playing on the playmat, I can identify the mom guilt tugging the heartstrings. I can only imagine what it must be for mothers who has to return to work full time after a few months of birth. So I count my blessings for every moment I spend with her.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very Nice blog👍😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Syed.
LikeLiked by 1 person