I have been trying to sit down and type this up for awhile now. Mainly finding the time to actually write out whats been swirling around in my head. Which is basically what this whole post is about.
There have been articles and articles about being a Stay-at-home Mom (SAHM), and articles and articles about being a Working Mom(WM). I haven’t found quite as many about the Working-AT-home Mom (WAHM).
Let me star out by clearly stating I think ALL of them are HARD!! I think no matter how you choose to mom, it’s hard and each come with their own benefits and problems and ups and downs. I have SO MUCH respect for both SAHM and WM. I’m not sure I could do either. But for the sake of this post I am going to be talking about the WAHM. Because that’s what I am.
The WAHM is a strange combination of the SAHM and the WM. but at the same time, a thing all on her own. She gets to be with her children more but still having the responsibility of work. It’s not AS common to find a mom who works from home, but in this day in age with all the different jobs online and direct sales growing ENORMOUSLY (whoop whoop mompreneurs!) it is becoming more and more common. I, personally, work in a field that has a close community where there are a lot of women who are on similar paths. I am thankful that I have a bunch of Work-at-home-Mom friends who “get it”.
Being a WAHM obviously has many challenges. I am pretty sure time management is the biggest. (At least for me) Trying to balance baby/work/house/relationships is HARD. I feel like each week I sack in one or the other. Do I edit another session or do I do the dishes? (dishes always looses. Never the dishes.) Do I spend more one on one time with my baby or answer these emails piling up? DO I sleep or spend an extra hour chatting with the husband? There is NO right answer and NO schedule! Especially with my family’s schedule. One week I will have it nailed and the next week our schedule is so different that there is no easy way for us to come up with a permanent schedule. (Yes, all you super organized moms are thinking in your head. I could come up with a basic work/family/home daily schedule and adjust when needed, but again…..time) I have always just tried to do what I think needs done the most at the moment and go on from there. Seriously moms, if you have a good way to schedule a basic day PLEASE send me a message!
I think another thing the WAHM mom feel a lot is Mom guilt. It is SO hard and SO easy to aways be on our phones and computer. Especially since it is my job. I am constantly thinking, she is only going to remember me working on my computer, or answering emails on my phone, etc. I do try my hardest to work mostly while she is sleeping but sometimes deadlines come and you just have to hustle through it. I want her to remember me being a present mom, but also a hard working mom. Is it possible to be both?
Now this next paragraph goes in the category of being a challenge AND a blessing all in one. And this is more personal for me and my job & family. Actually scheduling sessions and meeting. Trying to find times to photograph family around my husbands schedule is TOUGH. We are so much more limited when I can work and how much I can take. When my busy season first started I was panicking. Every time I scheduled something my husband would get called away and then I would either have to find a sitter/reschedule my session or take her with me. And THEN I realized I COULD take her with me. I have been so so blessed to have a job where I could bring my baby with me. She has gone to clients homes, parks, downtown. You name it, she is long for the ride. I have been BEYOND blessed to have a GREAT baby who is so pleasant and loves seeing new things and meeting new people. Since the weather has warmed up it is so easy (and hard?) for me to pack her up in her stroller and just roll her along to my sessions. And she likes it! I am not sure how much longer she will be content sitting in the stroller for x amount of time, but I am taking it as a WIN right now! I have AMAZING clients who welcome her, and chat with her during our sessions. They have kids who hold her hand and give her kisses and in return she makes them smile. All while I am getting paid to do my job. It may be a little more work to pack her up and carry her around each time, but seriously that is outweighed by the blessing that is being able to bring her with me.
Now can we talk about the good/great parts? Because seriously, there are some GREAT parts to being a WAHM mom. First and foremost, I get to be working at home and a mom. To me that means SO much. I won’t lie and say I don’t LOVE owning my own business. I have always been a little independent and creative and I love that I found a job that allows me to be fulfilled in those areas. I love the work, the clients, everything. Once I had Eloise I also wanted to become a great mother. I am lucky to be living a life that I can have all of it. Add my marriage to all of that and I am one lucky gal.
You guys. I get to be there for my daughter. I get to see every little new thing she does. ( I am probably recording it somehow) (This is not putting down Moms who work away from home. This is just me being excited that I can be there because I want to be there. It’s what works for my family.) I am so excited that in the future I can be the mom who can take her places and be present in her growing up. I can be the one to teach her things and help her grow. Because she deserves it.
I have so much more freedom. I know earlier in the post I was talking about choosing editing or cuddling and what is so great about being a WAHM is I CAN choose between the two. I can just stop, walk away from my computer, and pick up my daughter and give her all the cuddles I want. Or that she will let me give. I can go to lunch or playdates with friends, I can take naps when she does, I mean, as long as my deadlines are being met I can basically choose how I spend my time. Which is a great gift to have
I am just going to state one more time how BLESSED I am that I GET to be a WAHM. I chose this and it is definitely the best path for me and my family. I consider myself to be incredibly lucky. It may have a few bumps that we need to work through, but the is definitely the best life fore me.
*These photos were taken when my great friend ( another WAHM) and I needed new business headshots. SO we packed up our kids and headed out. Thank you so so much Deborah Grace Photography.
I love these two together!!! 
this last photo is one of our favorites and truly shows how we feel about taking a group photo with two babies and a self timer…..
