A couple weeks ago, I took my son and daughter to the park and after they ran off some stream around the slides and climbing walls, we took a stroll so I could just talk to them and hear what’s going on inside their little heads.
My son leaned against my arm and said, “Mommy, is it hard for one mommy to take care of two babies?”
I was in shock that, at 3, he would even ask me a question like that. “Yes, sometimes it’s hard.”
He looked up at me thoughtfully and said, “I wish we had two mommies. And then the other mommy could help you.”
Wow, I thought to myself. I really need to give these kids more credit. Sometimes I don’t think they are paying attention to the decisions we’re making about who is home with them, and how the transitions are going. It was a simple statement, but it spoke volumes and made me vow to be more open and honest with the kids on work, home and how moms make it work all over.
That’s why I was glad I purchased a copy of Welcome To My World, a new group ebook featuring essays from work-at-home moms, stay-at-home moms and mom who work outside the home. I saw myself in all of these mothers and had to read a couple passages out loud to my husband, because they summed up what being a WAHM was like in ways I never could. Take this paragraph for instance, in which a mom discusses the fantasy versus the reality of working from home:
“That flexible schedule means I need to make every moment of the school day count (free childcare!) so I can get my work done in my woefully abbreviated day. Volunteering in the classroom or skipping out for a luxurious latte is time I can ill afford to take away from my work…The two hours I could spend sorting books in the school library, or zipping off to meet my old pal, is two hours I will need to make up after bedtime, which is two hours less sleep, which wreaks havoc on my morning…and my mood — and consequently my kids’ lives.”
THIS. IS. THE. TRUTH. Well, except the free childcare part, since I am actually paying for my daughter to go to private school. But I see myself in the stay-at-home moms as well, because they don’t sugarcoat what it’s like to be at home all day with the kids. Sometimes it’s awesome, and sometimes you feel like, “What am I doing here?” I could relate to the working moms and the exhaustion of working a full day and then starting that second shift at home. Oh yeah, I’ve been there as well.
It’s a wonderful mix of mom bloggers, and while the tagline says they “debate who has it harder,” I don’t feel like they discuss that at all. It’s more about how do mothers do what they do and raise kids in a way that makes them proud. At $6.99, I felt it was a great read and I was happy to hear that I was not the only one to feel the way I do. That’s always a great feeling.
I really do recommend you pick up a copy because all proceeds get split between the writers. Since we’re launching a group ebook soon, I’d like to consider this good karma. We’re all in this together.
You can purchase your copy on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.com. If you get it, let me know what you think!
I couldn’t agree more that our children are more in tune than we think they are with regards to all decisions we make in life. They notice when we struggle. That’s pretty sweet of your son to wish for more help for you.
Thanks for this smart review. I agree that the book isn’t necessarily about debating, but about bringing together a group of women to talk about the different ways we make it work.
Let me know when your ebook comes out! I’d love to give it a read.
I’ll have to go check it out. I was singing the praises of working as a L&D nurse, leaving the WAHM life behind, but now I feel myself longing for it back…
I just don’t understand why the tagline of the book would be “bloggers debate who has it easier” if that’s not what the book is. I don’t have any desire to read a book with that tagline. It totally pushes me away. I’ve been trying to read reviews of the book (which is how I found your blog) to get a better understanding of WHAT it is about simply because I don’t know why anyone would want to read a book that pits moms against each other…