but talk to any mom these days and guilt is probably foremost on their minds...did I eat right when I was pregnant, breastfeed, go back to work, co-sleep, are they napping enough, getting the proper amount of organic, local veggies in their diet, am I "being present", are they watching too much TV, blah, blah, blah...so my new mom guilt is about all the time I sneak peeks at my Blackberry during the day and spend "just a few minutes, honey" answering some quick emails...as a stay at home but work at home mom with no really boundaries between the two I find it hard to concentrate on either...would I be better off hiding my cell and having a babysitter one day a week to work? Confine my emailing to naptime? How do you navigate your "screentime"?
PS - Carina, who is my favorite source of mommy wisdom, has a great post on sunscreen...so go read it and ditch all those nasty chemical ones lurking in the back of your medicine cabinet - one less thing to feel guilty about, eh?
Posts
Ah, yes. The work-at-home mommy conundrum. I am in the very same boat, and I do "guilt" over it. I am too easily drawn to the computer. I do get a babysitter now and then when I'm particularly overloaded with work, but for some reason that makes me feel even more guilty. Now that I have an iPad I can actually sit with her and check my mail at the same time, though I have yet to decide if that makes things better or worse.
ReplyDeleteBeen there. Done/doing that. I did end up having a nanny/sitter come in 1-2x a week so I could study and get work done. I've also worked on keeping things separate. I guess so much of my email is not for school or work (ie. I use it for entertainment) that I felt like it was no different than watching TV and ignoring her. If it was strictly school and work related, I'd probably still feel guilty.
ReplyDeleteI work outside the home....so the guilt is overwhelming. I usually say that I feel like I am running my everything at 25 percent of it's capability. Every day...something's gotta give. One day, it may be my hair, another it may be a healthy meal, or time with the Hubby. It's a daily struggle and I keep all the balls in the air as best as I can.
ReplyDeleteGood post! I also work from home with my 12 month old daughter. She knows the instant I sit down to the computer or check my phone, and then she comes over to investigate... climbing up my legs, grabbing at my arms. So, it is a disaster to try and get much done while she is in the room. Luckily she has started napping for longer periods of time in the morning. So much that I can get a good amount done and then feel more focused on her. It is hard to just say, I'll do it at night when she goes to bed. For one, hello... I need to spend time with my husband too. For two, I am exhausted. It is hard to find the balance. Good luck to you. Nice blog!
ReplyDelete