WAHM and Mommy GuiltIt’s not like we don’t have enough mommy guilt, just being moms…
Being a wahm means that the kids actually get to see us at work. They know how tied we are to our computers, to our jobs. They know they compete with the computer for attention. Some savvy kids are smart enough to point it out by stating the obvious. For others, it comes out more subtly. When my oldest was in Kindergarten, they would have a class topic, and each child would draw a picture. They would create a book and send it home for all the families to see. On the back page was a place to comment.
One month, the topic was “My Mom.” My daughter drew my back. A picture of me at the computer. She wrote, “My mom is a geek. She is always working at the computer.” Years later she confided that she thought “geek” was my job title. I fought back the tears.
Fast-forward eight years. My girls are now in high school, and when asked what they want to be when they grow up, they say they aren’t sure of anything except that they want to work at home. My youngest told me that she thinks it’s the only solution for her. When I asked how they felt about me always working, they told me that they didn’t see it as that. They told me that they saw it as always being there for them.
Amazing what a little hindsight can do.
September 8th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
… and I know my oldest will eventually see it that way too.
Thanks for the reminder.
September 9th, 2008 at 1:00 am
“Amazing what a little hindsight can do.”
Did you mean that as a pun?? (cause of the picture?!!)
Ugh, I’ve really been dealing with the mommyguilt, my older two are fine, but my 18 month old sees me at the computer and has a meltdown. Thanks for the encouragement that this too, will pass!
November 13th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
I’m so glad that they know that you working at home meant that you were always around for them, that is amazing and the world needs more strong entrepreneurs, so good on them for wanting to work from home!