by Jessica Linville
photo credit: Flickr
I love my kids, I do! But I also love my career.
I worked full-time up until 38 weeks with both kids, and granted, towards the end I COULD. NOT. WAIT. to go on maternity leave. Between raging hormones, body aches and attitudes of co-workers, I probably wasn’t the most pleasant to be around.
The joy of having a new baby and knowing that you just pushed out that bouncing bundle of coos, spit-up, and runny diapers is second to none. But, not all of us are meant to be stay at home moms. I have always been a go girl who made her own money and enjoyed working. After 8 weeks of maternity leave, I am more than ready to get back in the office- being productive and being the breadwinner.
photo credit: Flickr
I love my kids, I do! But I also love my career.
I worked full-time up until 38 weeks with both kids, and granted, towards the end I COULD. NOT. WAIT. to go on maternity leave. Between raging hormones, body aches and attitudes of co-workers, I probably wasn’t the most pleasant to be around.
The joy of having a new baby and knowing that you just pushed out that bouncing bundle of coos, spit-up, and runny diapers is second to none. But, not all of us are meant to be stay at home moms. I have always been a go girl who made her own money and enjoyed working. After 8 weeks of maternity leave, I am more than ready to get back in the office- being productive and being the breadwinner.
However, it never fails that when you go back to work, someone says something that makes you feel guilty. I feel like women are criticized if they do stay at home with their young children and put their careers on the back burner, but we are also damned by our peers if we do go to work and leave our children in the care of others. We’re confronted with, "OMG, I could NEVER leave my newborn with a sitter" or "I can't believe you want to go back to work already".
While meeting the demands of sales goals and quotas at work is stressful, so is being a stay at home mom and I can only handle so much. Sometimes I consider my 9 to 5 job a mini vacation from the kids. Potty training a toddler while having a newborn attached to your boob and feeling like every other moment is changing a dirty behind is just not for me. Neither was the time where I argued with my toddler for a good 20 minutes about why she can’t have the milk with the pink lid (fat free) and that she needed the red lid (whole milk) and the meltdown that ensued because pink is her favorite color. I welcome the first day back at work where I can change out of the yoga pants, put on a real bra that isn’t a nursing bra, and a button-up instead of a t shirt soaked with spit up on the shoulder. Wearing a strand of pearls without them being yanked off and actually putting on make-up and doing my hair for the first time in weeks is like a breath of fresh air. That first cup of coffee as you sit down at the desk in silence is amazing after weeks of whining and crying.
Give me a research reports and deadlines any day!
I don’t need the “Parenting Police” barking up my tree because I decide to go back to work. Finding reliable childcare without forking out my whole paycheck is a battle in its own and a story for another day. Trust me, I struggle with “working mom’s guilt” knowing that I might miss their first steps or first words. But, I know deep down, that sacrificing my time now while they are young will be rewarding down the road. I want to be a role model to my daughter and son and show them that they can be anything they want when they grows up and that anything they set their minds to, they can achieve. I do not need to battle with other moms on being “good enough” to know that my parenting and career decisions are more than good enough for my own kids. I do the best that I can and that does not deserve criticism. It deserves encouragement... and a glass of wine.
Jessica Linville is a 20- something mom of 2 beautiful kiddos & married to an active duty member of the Armed Forces. Jessica served 6 years as a Paralegal in the CA Army National Guard & is currently in the Army Reserves as a Finance Specialist. She enjoys volunteering with numerous veteran organizations & writing resumes for fun! She loves curling up with a book reading & her 2 German Shepherd dogs, Rhino & Riley. Oh & wine, can't forget wine. She loves a nice glass (or two) of wine.
While meeting the demands of sales goals and quotas at work is stressful, so is being a stay at home mom and I can only handle so much. Sometimes I consider my 9 to 5 job a mini vacation from the kids. Potty training a toddler while having a newborn attached to your boob and feeling like every other moment is changing a dirty behind is just not for me. Neither was the time where I argued with my toddler for a good 20 minutes about why she can’t have the milk with the pink lid (fat free) and that she needed the red lid (whole milk) and the meltdown that ensued because pink is her favorite color. I welcome the first day back at work where I can change out of the yoga pants, put on a real bra that isn’t a nursing bra, and a button-up instead of a t shirt soaked with spit up on the shoulder. Wearing a strand of pearls without them being yanked off and actually putting on make-up and doing my hair for the first time in weeks is like a breath of fresh air. That first cup of coffee as you sit down at the desk in silence is amazing after weeks of whining and crying.
Give me a research reports and deadlines any day!
I don’t need the “Parenting Police” barking up my tree because I decide to go back to work. Finding reliable childcare without forking out my whole paycheck is a battle in its own and a story for another day. Trust me, I struggle with “working mom’s guilt” knowing that I might miss their first steps or first words. But, I know deep down, that sacrificing my time now while they are young will be rewarding down the road. I want to be a role model to my daughter and son and show them that they can be anything they want when they grows up and that anything they set their minds to, they can achieve. I do not need to battle with other moms on being “good enough” to know that my parenting and career decisions are more than good enough for my own kids. I do the best that I can and that does not deserve criticism. It deserves encouragement... and a glass of wine.
Jessica Linville is a 20- something mom of 2 beautiful kiddos & married to an active duty member of the Armed Forces. Jessica served 6 years as a Paralegal in the CA Army National Guard & is currently in the Army Reserves as a Finance Specialist. She enjoys volunteering with numerous veteran organizations & writing resumes for fun! She loves curling up with a book reading & her 2 German Shepherd dogs, Rhino & Riley. Oh & wine, can't forget wine. She loves a nice glass (or two) of wine.
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