Mommy Guilt, the working mom’s nemesis! – Life Lesson 4

Sometimes I think the most difficult part of having a baby is not the sleepless nights, not the crying, not the birth….it is being away from her. I won’t lie, sometimes it is a needed break when I go to work or I travel and get to sleep past 5 am but not being with her outweighs any brief moment of pleasure I have. I do feel that I am a better mommy to her because I work though. That may not be the case for everyone but for a driven chick like me, someone who thrives on competition and her career, it balances me. If I were a stay at home mom I think I would lose a big part of who I am and change, not for the better. I want her to know me, the driven worker who loves being part of building a company. The strong woman who leads a team and someone she can look up to.
I just spent 6 days on the road, came home for 2 and went back out for 2. I am now home for 6 days and then away again for 2…..so needless to say I am stressed about how she feels. My last meeting was for a board that I am on and it is a professional women association. I leaned on the other women on the board who have kids and have been doing this crazy balancing act for far longer than i. They helped put my mind at ease and grounded me. I realize that I am not the first and surely will not be the last to feel this way, I also realize that they bounce easily at this age and I can still have just as strong of a bond with her as I would if I were a stay at home mom. Helps to reach out to others, to talk to fellow driven chicks and get it off your chest.. My life lesson here is don’t keep the mommy guilt inside, talk it out and get the mentoring and support you need!
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