Working From Home: My Version

You may have seen articles and pictures of moms working from home (or this video), and the realities of juggling messy kids with trying to work, between naps and nursings and somehow trying to be productive. Switching your brain from work mode like writing professional emails and reading reports (in my case, in Spanish at times), to comforting your child who just bonked her head or needs a snack in the matter of seconds is a very difficult task.

I have to be OK with the messes, because at least the messes are making her happy, which means I'm not having to entertain her, which means I can focus on work at my dining room table.

I have to be OK with a lot of breaks and interruptions, from the water guy outside to the baby needing another cracker and/or wanting to sit on my lap.

I have to ignore the piled up dishes from breakfast in the sink, though my sensory-aware self goes a little crazy, and focus on work.

Right now, it feels worth it. These two days a week I'm working from home, I get to spend extra precious minutes with my baby, while working at the same time. The interruptions are not all bad. I get to take breaks where I get to snuggle and kiss and hold my baby. Even so, the time is nearing when it will probably make more sense to put her in daycare. She's still at home three days a week with our house help while I'm at the office, but I think at some point being around other kids in a more stimulating environment will be a better choice (she seems to be a bit extroverted). I's a hard realization for me to accept, as I continue to struggle with the "mom guilt" of daycare versus time at home.

On the other hand, working in the office has been really helpful, and going back to five days a week there will have a lot of advantages. I get adult time, Spanish time, I feel productive and useful, and work feels more smooth.

I'm learning that part of being a parent is realizing that what's best for my children might not be the idyllic scenario in my mind. Working at home has its golden moments, but I'm often more stressed and frustrated than I need to be. It's possible I could be a more present Mom in the afternoons if our mornings looked different. The quality of time I'm spending with her in the morning may be more frustrating for both of us now as she gets older and more active.

Yet another transition is on its way.