Hey - I'll take all the reassurance I can get! I was reading an article in "Working Mother" ~ and there was a special survey done about the choices we make as parents. To work, or not to work? To work part-time? Stay home?? Work from home?? Stay home and then go back to work later??? Anywho ~ the bottom line or general consensus was that all of us moms ~ regardless of our working status ~ at least occasionally question our decisions. AND, that most mom's felt guilty about not doing enough for themselves. Hello! That's what the basis of this blog is all about. Having a family should mean including the new 'littles' in the mix - not losing yourself in the mix.
Moms question things like, "Should I be spending more time with the kids?" "Should I be working to bring in more income to the family??" "Should I go part-time?" The article discussed some general ideas behind the topic, as well as some specific interviews with moms in each category. While I could relate a bit - I was reassured on two levels: 1) I do sometimes worry that the girls see me as being "on the computer" too often... and so hearing these stories - and their fantastic advice - resulted in a sense of 'it's not just me, and yes - I'm doing the right thing for our family..." But also - #2 - I haven't been putting too much emphasis on any one aspect of our lives (particularly, I'm not over-working) - as I found it kind of hard to relate to most of the other women's concerns overall.
The most admirable advice? Remember to focus on the good things you're doing - rather than the struggles or the challenging times. For example - if you've been behind on a project, and spent more time than you would have liked to admit in front of the computer - don't dwell on it. Instead, call to mind the times when your children needed your attention, and you stepped away from your desk to give it to them. The time you put into their well-being that day should count more than the time you feel you squandered for working. Kind of a nice light-bulb moment for me! I thought I'd pass it along~
TIP: Focusing on the good is a good practice ~ for any topic!
A QUOTE: "The ideal situation for a parent is one that no one has - having a
fulfilling job that requires you to work three days a week. It's better
for the parents, because they get to spend time with the children and
also have a source of pride and achievement - and income - outside the
home." ~Tina Fey
WHIDFML: Dabbled in some paid-advertising online - which will hopefully result in a few additional wedding photography gigs in the upcoming season! Now I just need to find a new back-up plan for mommy-days... since my previous back-up retired. 'Tis a goal.
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