"As a working mom, I often feel like I’m at the mercy of work and school schedules. Days consist of scrambling to get...
Posted by Love What Matters [1] on Wednesday, November 8, 2017 [2]
Working mom [3] Aimee Nelson knows that balancing a demanding work schedule and taking care of two kids [4] makes each day an absolute whirlwind. And sometimes, she can't help but wonder if all her hard work will pay off, or if her children even realize how much running around she actually does. However, the mother of two posted about finding notes from her 8-year-old daughter one morning and how that was all the proof she needed that she's doing a good job.
As a working mom, I often feel like I'm at the mercy of work and school schedules. Days consist of scrambling to get the kids' things ready before I rush to get to work at 7 a.m., putting in a long work day, then spending my nights at school and sporting events. Then it's dinner, homework, and bedtime. Every night as I do one last goodnight kiss to my sleeping 8- and 10-year-olds, that familiar feeling washes over me — mom guilt.
Did I spend enough quality time with them? Did I tell them I love them enough? Was dinner healthy enough? Did they watch too much TV tonight? Was I too strict by not letting them stay up for "5 more minutes" or snuggle with me until they fell asleep (for the 3rd night that week)?
The self-doubt is continuous. No matter how many hugs, kisses, or "I love yous" we get from our children; we moms still worry that we aren't doing enough. So we trek along day after day, hoping our babies see the sacrifice, the unconditional love, the countless ways we try to get this parenting thing right . . . hoping one day we will get some reinforcement that we are doing something right.
Although experiencing some type of "guilt" at some point or another is totally normal for working parents [5], shaking it can be an uphill battle. But fortunately for Aimee, her youngest child kept a careful eye on everything her mama was doing, and left four handwritten notes for her to find one morning. If Aimee had any doubts about how well she was juggling motherhood and having a full-time job, they were completely erased once she read the pieces of paper.
As I walked out to grab my work ID and keys, I noticed they weren't in my usual spot. As I frantically searched for them, I came across this sight: My 8-year-old daughter had made these notes for me before bed. She left my ID and sunglasses, and a note for everything else — "Ready to drive? You can pick which rings you want. I thought you might want these. Want your lunch?" I found a bag in the refrigerator with water, soup, and oatmeal for me; along with a note saying: "I gave you the keys to my heart."
She may not know it now, but those notes scribbled in crayon were just what I needed that day! They showed me that maybe — just maybe — I'm doing something right.