being a work from home mom

Since I can remember, whenever I thought about becoming a mom, I knew I wanted to stay at home, but also work from home. My mom worked from home and raised my sister and me, which is something I always admired. I was enamored by her sitting in the home office, typing away or punching numbers in the printing calculator. I would often sit in there and mimic her actions. I felt like a CEO, even though I didn't know what that was yet.

As I grew older, my dreams and jobs changed a lot. I've been a preschool teacher, a personal trainer, a baker, a content creator, an online teacher, and eventually a mom. When someone I meet asks "what do you do?." I struggle putting together an answer because it's a handful of things. I'm very fortunate that this handful of things (Instagram, YouTube, VIPKid) allows me to earn money, while staying at home with my littles.

As a work from home mom, time management is everything. My planner is my prized possession and the to-do list on my phone is key. While I get up before my family, to teach online classes, there is still a lot of work to do during the day. I try my best to get as much work as I can done during my kids' nap time, but it hardly every crams into two hours. Plus, there is always housework to be done. My work "breaks" are usually spent washing dishes or putting away laundry. Oh, and then there's the whole being a mom thing too. Meals, baths, playtime, etc.

With so much going on, I've been learning to give myself grace, as every mom should. For a really long time, I thought that I was a bad mom if my every waking moment wasn't dedicated to being hands-on with my kids. I was exhausting myself with activities, crafts, schedules, songs, and dances. I would beat myself up if I answered emails on my phone or worked on my computer while they were awake. Because of this, I wasn't a good mom because I wasn't taking care of myself. I also wasn't spending as much time on my work, which is very fulfilling for me.

For me, my job is a self-esteem booster. It keeps me tied to who I was before I was a mom. It gives me a separate identity, which I honestly need. I love my kids - a lot. But I also love me too. I'm someone who loves working and creating. Without it, I would be lost. So you can see how the above wasn't working out for me.

It's definitely hard to compartmentalize my life sometimes. Truthfully, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to fully separate everything - and that's okay. Editing videos is going to be interrupted by potty breaks. My inbox will be tended to while I eat lunch. Shooting content will almost always end up with photos with my kids in them or just cropped out. My early online classes will sometimes be interrupted by a toddler who should be sleeping. Conference calls are a bit more noisy with laughter and sometimes screaming. I wouldn't have it any other way.

There are also way more opportunities for independent play, which has just been incredible to watch. Sure, there is a lot more mess, but I have really enjoyed seeing their imaginations grow. The things they come up with are pretty awesome, and sometimes opportunities for injury - haha. 

I'm also realizing the value in my children watching me work, just how I watched my mom work. I've often seen them mimicking what I do, whether it's typing on my laptop or pretending to take photos. I hope they grow up knowing they can do anything they set their mind to.

While this is my experience, there are so many others out there. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom, a working mom, a work-from-home mom - whatever kind of mom you are - at the end of the day, we are all just trying to do the best we can. Give yourself grace. Know that you are valued. Your kids love the heck out of you.