Do I like being a Working MOM or Stay-at-Home MOM?

I am not sure which one I like to be- a working mom or a Stay-at-Home mom.  I know I can be both anytime when situations arises. We women are strong.... aren't we... :)))

I have to admit that I was lucky to have a good set of colleagues and managers where I was working, who understood the need of a working mom. But still sometimes I did face problems.

Few of the things I faced as a working mom:

• Taking early lunch breaks, rushing to my kid's school to attend a function,  staying for 15 min, waving at him, looking at my watch and rushing back to reach office before lunch break is over.

• Not able to participate in my kid's class activities. Felt sad every time he asked me "Mamma why you never participate in my class activity like other mommies."

• Sending my kid to before and after school programs even when he was sick :( 

• Not able to pick him up at the front gate after school is over, the way he always wanted.

• Avoiding taking leaves when I am sick, so I can take one when needed for my kid.

• Trying to rush so that I can pick my kid from after-school a little early and feel good about it.

• Negotiating with my husband to see if he can take a day off, half day or work from home instead.

• Not able to put my kid in other activities on weekdays. Feeling sad when other stay-at-home moms talk about it.  Its a human nature... I think. You want to do the same for your kid.

• To think how good it would to be a stay-at-home mommy.

• Sometimes had to finish office work at home and not able to give time to my kid.

• Somedays I have tried to be super mom and have failed badly.
  
  
  

One thing that kept going and made me feel I am not doing anything wrong, is whenever my kid hugged me and said "I love you mom" and that I am the best. Well ... I will not lie...I had to sometimes.. I mean most of the time.. had to buy him a toy to hear it. So what...I know he will understand me someday.

Will I be a good Stay-at-Home mom?

With a new addition to the family on the way, I know I will be staying at home for a while to take care of him/her.  I know that its also not easy to be a Stay-at-Home mommy. It has its own sets of emotions.

When I took a career break 6 years back for a year to take care of my kid. Everything was nice for few months. I loved cooking (trying to be the perfect house wife... hope my husband remembers :) ) and taking care of my kid, taking him to park every day.

After few months, I wanted to go back to work. I wanted to be independent, to contribute to family earning and feel good about it.

So, do I like being a working mom or stay-at-home mom? My mom was a stay-at-home Mommy always and she was always happy and content. Then why I can't feel the same.  Maybe because I have the taste of both sides or maybe at her time there were less working moms around to feel the need to work.

I hope this time around it will be different, only time will tell...lets see :)

Share with us in the comments below if you felt the same or different, how did you handle the situations...etc. Thank you.