We have a system that works for our family, and it is crucial for maintaining a balanced and happy home. That being said… as I’ve mentioned before I am fortunate to have certain circumstances that definitely make it easier to thrive at being a working mom
1. I have family close by
Like, seriously close by. My in-laws live about 40 minutes away. My parents…live next door. Yep, through luck and fate I was able to buy the house next door to my parents. Both sets of our parents are retired, so this means that everyone is almost constantly available. Having family close by is so great – for the support, the visits, but most importantly for the fact that…
2. My family helps watch my children
When I went back to work at 5 weeks after having Ry, my mom and mother-in-law divided up childcare responsibilities. I never could have gone back to work that early if I didn’t have the peace of mind knowing that he was being cared for by a family member. Plus, I was saving a ton on childcare.
3. Daycare is across the street
When Ry turned 2 (and Lily was 4 months), my mom said that I should start looking for a daycare to send him to. Watching both kids was getting to be too much for her (my mother-in-law had to stop watching my son when he was 18 months old when she fell and broke both her wrists). Additionally, she really felt Ry needed more interaction with children his own age so his speech, creativity, and social skills could continue to develop. We looked at 4 different daycare centers, all less than a 5 minute drive from my house. We ended up picking our favorite one, which is about a 15 minute walk from our house.
4. I’m the boss
If you’ve read some of my other posts, you might know that I own my own business. While that means I have a lot of work and responsibilities, it also means that I’m in control of my hours and my schedule. When I went back to work, I was able to go back part time for a while. Even now, I take off a day during the week, I work a half day Saturday, and I take an early day at least once a week where I leave at 4pm. Plus, I could take pump breaks whenever I wanted from the privacy of my office. Pretty sweet setup for a mom.
5. My hubby is awesome
This single fact is the most important reason why I’m able to be a successful working mom. My husband is amazingly supportive and helps out as much as he can. Besides being emotionally supportive all the time, he drops my son off at daycare during the week, stays home when my mom is out on vacation, takes the kids to doctors appointments when needed, and keeps the house clean. Yep, I’m blessed.
However, even with all those amazing factors – being a working mom is a tough gig and it takes effort. I’m writing this as my son is almost 3, and my daughter is a year and a half. Remember that right after my kids were born and still in that infant stage, I was a complete mess until I found a system that worked for our family. Now? I’m a full-time wife, mom, AND business owner – and thriving at all of it.