A few months back, I found myself sitting in my car, anxiously waiting for the bell to signal the end of the school day so I could pick up my son. In a moment of inspiration, I thought of a writing idea that I knew I had to jot down before it slipped into the abyss of my cluttered mind, along with the twenty other things I was supposed to remember that day.
Frantically, I searched my car for a writing surface, eventually settling on a napkin that may or may not have been used. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? I cursed myself for leaving the house without anything to write with—my phone was forgotten on the kitchen table. I had a solid concept to work with, and I needed to capture it immediately. After a brief struggle under the backseat, I triumphantly retrieved half of an orange crayon. I scribbled down my idea: “reasons women should self-pleasure,” and left it in plain sight, knowing I’d forget otherwise.
Once my fourth grader hopped into the car, eager to share stories from his day, I completely forgot about my little slip of paper. That is, until he began to read it aloud, painstakingly sounding out “self-pleasure.” Naturally, he asked for clarification, and I explained it to him. I added that it’s perfectly normal, as long as it’s done in the privacy of one’s bedroom.
In my mind, I was multitasking—an idea for work led to a valuable conversation with my son that was long overdue. It’s just what mothers do.
Let me reiterate: Women who work are incredible, those who stay at home are incredible, and those managing both roles are downright heroic.
Working from home often means you’re simultaneously on the toilet, calming a fussy child, and responding to urgent emails. You’ve mastered the art of quickly pulling it together for important calls. Deadlines can shift unexpectedly, and you’re often expected to deliver while juggling playtime with your kids or tending to a sick little one.
You maximize every moment. Multitasking reaches new heights when you’re balancing motherhood and work. You quickly realize that both your children and your boss tend to need you at the same time, so you adapt.
While it’s possible to separate your parenting from your professional duties, it doesn’t always work. Dinner preparation may involve one hand chopping vegetables while the other manages work tasks, because let’s be honest, mom mode is always on. You’ve got a solid balancing act going. You aim to work smarter, not harder, so you can give your family, your job, and yourself the attention they deserve.
Boredom is a foreign concept. Flipping between work responsibilities and home chores keeps you alert. When you manage to focus solely on work, with the kids playing nicely, or when you’re caught up on work and can bake cupcakes with them, it feels like a mini-vacation.
Sometimes, you can even sneak in a Skype call without worrying about your bottom half. No one needs to know you paired a blazer with your pajama pants—unless, of course, your toddler bursts in like a little whirlwind, and then you might have to weigh the risks of standing up.
You find yourself on the lookout for special toys or movies to distract your kids during crunch time, and when it works, you feel like a superhero. You perfect the look that says, “Do not disturb unless there’s blood involved.”
I truly love what I do, and a major reason for that is the ability to be home with my children. I made the choice a while ago not to have to sacrifice one for the other. I appreciate that they can see their mom tackling work tasks while also handling the less glamorous chores around the house. (They also witness me binge-watching old series while savoring Cheetos—balance is key, after all.)
Women are multifaceted beings, and motherhood is not a uniform experience. We’re constantly reminded of this, but even amidst the chaos, I find joy in working from home. It grants me autonomy (and a paycheck), and there’s nothing quite like nurturing both my children and my aspirations.
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