A Secret to Success as a Working Mom: Turn Burn Out Into Bliss and Embrace Joy

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Last weekend my youngest was committed to going to the "Water Steps" a man-made water fall in Pittsburgh by the rivers. (Fun Fact: Three rivers converge in Pittsburgh--The Ohio River, The Monongahela River, and the Allegheny River.)  He kept asking. I knew he was serious when he said, "If you won't take me, I'll ask  daddy!" Given that it was highly unlikely that would happen on an unscheduled day, I relented. So, we went. It wasn’t planned in the way most things in my life are. No calendar block. No checklist. No “productive” purpose attached. And, so in some respects it was uncomfortable. And yet, it seemed necessary. It was the idea of my 8-year-old—offered with the kind of urgency only children possess when something is profoundly important to them.
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Back-to-School Wisdom: Sometimes Mama Gets to Be a Hero!

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US Steel Tower
Working mom and daughter, "On Top of the World"!

Back-to-School season is upon us, which is a double edged sword for working moms. On the one hand we know that the commute gets easier because our kids go to one place everyday, and if we're lucky, someone else takes them there. On the other hand, we know that the demands on their time and ours increases with the school year. There is homework to do, projects to manage, and activities to participate in.

It is a whole lot! Even though I have tips for making things go smoother, everything gets more hectic during the school year, and life requires a lot more planning. And there is still the "regular" working mom stuff to do! 

Indeed, there are a lot of challenges that accompany being a working mom. We have too much to do and too little time. We can be plagued with guilt about not being our children's sole source of comfort and companionship. We can also lament that our homes would be cleaner, our kids would have more gourmet meals, and our husbands would have more to smile about if we only had more time to focus on those things.

Despite all of that, we shouldn't forget that we are kind of bad ass even though we don't have a special uniform like Wonder Woman. Also, we should remember, our kids know it.

A snack break on "Take Your Child to Work Day"

I have taken my daughter to work with me for the past two years for my company's "Take Your Child to Work Day" events. On that day, if on no other I know that she is both glad and proud that I work every day. Our department has a tireless manager who makes the kids feel special and schedules cool experiences.  This year, as indicated above, we were able to take a walk on the tallest building between Chicago and New York City, which happens to reside in Pittsburgh. The look on my daughter's face was priceless. And, I got the pleasure of knowing that I'm the one who gave her that cool experience.

Say what you want about being a working mom, sometimes, the "working" allows you to be a hero to your kids. As the school year gets more hectic and you're feeling conflicted, remember that! 
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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