Working Mommy Guilt
Working Mommy Guilt is very real. Sure it seems like an excuse to spoil your child or be lax on discipline, but if you think that – you’ve probably never actually worked away from home for more than fifteen hours a week.
My friend Shanna went back to work after three years at home. She’s never worked more than a few hours a week since having her oldest who happens to be Jake’s age. Now she is working full-time as a high school librarian. She is suffering from Working Mommy Guilt in a big way. She got a membership to the Y with childcare. She was going every day for months. She went back to work and hasn’t been since – she just can’t stand the thought of leaving her girls in the childcare for one more hour. I don’t blame her.
I don’t go to church because I don’t like the idea of childcare for one hour to attend a church service by myself. (Mike won’t go.) I’d rather spend that hour with my boys. This feeling was even more powerful when I was working full-time.
I don’t go anywhere without my boys during the week. Jake and Brian go to the store with me, to the mall with me, everywhere with me. I don’t want to miss a minute of them, and they want their Mommy.
I skip evenings out so that I’m here for bedtime and in case they wake up. Besides, I can’t enjoy myself anyway knowing they might be calling for me and I’m not there. I’m sure I’ll be over this one in a few more years.
I don’t encourage Jake to spend the night with his grandparents who are beyond willing to have him over. I figure a real mom is on duty 24 hours a day – and I like my job.
So long as my bears need their Mommy, you’d better believe she will be there for them – or at least I will be when I’m not working…
