One Secret to a Working Mom's Success: Keep Standing

Me, standing in Barbados Those of us who live our lives out loud on the internet subject ourselves to scrutiny. Some comment, "Nobody's life is perfect. These posts must be fake," Those making those comments might even be close to us because they "know our business" and they whisper and gossip and say, "she's so fake".  To those who may read my blog and make such comments, (the trolls) know that I hear you, see you, and completely disagree. 

Working Mom Weekends

Siblings enjoying the day

As a working mom, I cherish my weekends more than anything. During the weekend, we are like every other mom. We can enjoy our kids without being bound by our work schedules. During the week, it's a an entirely different matter, especially during the school year.


The last two weeks of the school year were particularly tough. Despite my better judgment, I wind up rushing around. I swear, the last two weeks of school, my older son was late like six out ten days. It's not that I don't value timeliness, it's that I exceeded my capacity for morning activities. Between getting myself ready, getting the baby ready, breastfeeding, and making sure that both boys and I made our ways to the car safely, I just couldn't get it together any faster. Not to throw shade, but I have to add that my husband always chose to leave ten minutes before we needed to leave to make it out on time. He said, he "had to leave". However, since he doesn't punch a clock and didn't have my meetings, I never understood why he couldn't give me 5-10 more minutes.

Eventually, I stopped asked him to do it. I realized that his time is his time and he can decide how he spends it. And, now that summer is here, so can I.

Baby's first ride on the carousel
Now that the school year is over, I get a break from taking my older son to school. That means, I shouted "Hallelujah"  on the last day of school and danced like I was in a Pentecostal revival! I am free. And since my husband is in charge of taking the older kids to camp, I intend to show him the same level of support that he showed me. Yes, I said it.  Feel free to write me to tell me that I'm being petty, I don't care.

For the record, I never understood the "petty" criticism when one gives what they were given. Instead, I choose to think that I will be embodying the model of teamwork that I have been shown. I have tried the "show him the level of support you'd like to receive model" and that just got me left at home with a baby and preschooler during crunch time. So, this summer,  I am allowing him to rise to the occasion as he says he can. I have every confidence in him!

Kids hanging out at Schenley Park

Anyway, this past weekend, I chose to spend my time enjoying my kids. The older two and I attended a birthday party on Saturday. And I took all of them to swimming lessons and the Pittsburgh Library Reading Extravaganza on Sunday. We had a great time participating in all of the events and getting "Eat n Park" smiley cookies, which is guaranteed to make any event special. We drew attention from friends--like when my friend Amanda noticed that my kids feet were covered in mud because the moon bounce house was in the middle of a field that was drenched. We drew attention from strangers. One even commented that he was moved by the way I looked at my kids. He said he could tell how much I loved them by the size of my smile. 


Mom exposing a little too much

I was feeling super fantastic about the day until I got home and saw that I had probably been displaying my bra to the world all day. Still, since it's the industrial, nursing kind and not the sexy come hither kind, it's probably not why we drew so much attention. Or is it... :-)

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