I think working moms of small children might love weekends even more than college coeds. We work all week trying to remember not to feel guilty that it's the quality of time spent with children that matters not the quantity of the time. Still there are those days when we feel terrible because we have missed some milestone, we had to go to work when our children were sick, or we have been judged by the endless people who seem to judge us for working even if they do so silently.
Working Mom Guilt Happens
There are those who will try to convince working moms not to feel guilty ever. I am not one of those people. First, I went to Catholic school for four years so I wear guilt like a comfortable old shoe. Secondly, I think that it's natural to feel guilty even if you "love" your job because you cannot be two places at once, even though Face Time and Skype exist.
Even though you may think that you "love" your job. You are positive that you love your kids. And that creates a conflict that cannot be resolved no matter how hard you try. It doesn't mean that you'll be unhappy. It just means that you'll have to work very hard to make sure that you find a system or a schedule that allows you to feel like you're doing a good job on both fronts.
The Weekends Are a Great Way To Reconnect With Your Kids
For me, my weekends allow me to create meaningful memories with my kids. Our workweeks are jam packed, but our weekends are free flowing. I have resisted the urge to over schedule my kids with classes. While my daughter takes music and gymnastics, she does it during the week to keep our weekends free. I know that I won't be able to control our schedules like that forever, but for now I can and I do. It works well for us.
On days when the guilt creeps in, it is nice for me to watch a video taken one weekend when the sun was shining, we were hanging out, and she was she was playing with a stranger. Pure delight!
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| Throwback Thursday, video from the fall at The Children's Museum |
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