Little Pea started school this week. I always gave the side-eye to moms who referred to their toddlers going to “school,” but the program she’s in kind of falls between daycare and preschool, so neither word really feels like it fits. I work from home and as my daughter’s gotten older, squeezing in work during the day has gotten harder and harder. And when you work from home, everyone’s response upon learning that is always, “That’s so great that you get to stay home with your daughter all day!” Which, yes, it is! But something tells me these people must not hang out with a lot of toddlers if they think I’m on my laptop working 8 hours a day while Little Pea plays quietly in the next room. Just knowing that’s the assumption people make made me feel even worse about putting my daughter in school—if everyone thinks this should be easy, why isn’t it? Do I just suck?
The first day was gut-wrenching, but it was such a good feeling to get so much work done in the 4 hours she was gone and then spend the afternoon with her—really with her, not replying to emails and feeling guilty while she begged for my attention. And getting more work done during the day means that when she goes to bed, I have time for hobbies again. Like this blog! The best part is, Little Pea loves school too, so it’s truly a win-win situation, which helps lessen the mom guilt significantly. Because there’s always mom guilt, right?
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