Being on summer break gives me lots of time to pause and reflect on the school year and my job in general. Don’t get me wrong, I love summer break; it’s delicious! But, I also really enjoy working and am grateful to be a working mom. Yes, I know the mommy wars are still very much (stupidly, in my opinion) raging (why can’t we all just get along and support one another??); this post is not meant to ignite another battle. Rather, I thought I’d share one mom’s thoughts on being a working mom and why I enjoy it:


Me and Lil’ CB before heading off to work/school on Crazy Hair Day!

1. I love what I do

I know that not everyone is lucky enough to have a job that they love. Thankfully, I happen to be one of those lucky people. From the time I was 11, I  knew I wanted to be a teacher. I know that it is what I am meant to do; what I am called to do. And, at the risk of sounding arrogant, I know I’m good at what I do. While there are days that are harder than others, and while Mondays are still not my favorite, for the most part, I get up each work morning happy to go to school and excited for a new day of teaching and learning with my students. It energizes me and gives me so much fulfillment to see my students learn and grow and make progress. In fact, just a few weeks ago, students from my very first Kindergarten class graduated from high school! A few of them came back to visit and say goodbye and it was amazing to see them finish this part of their academic journeys and prepare to begin a new chapter in their lives. What a privilege it is to have been a part of that journey!

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2. It keeps me grounded

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I adore my school. It is truly an amazing place and I am so grateful that our family (Lil’ CB also attends as a student) is a part of its community. We are an extremely diverse school — diverse not only in ethnic and racial backgrounds, but also in socioeconomic status. Being engaged with families that come from different walks of life exposes us to many welcome new experiences. It also keeps me in check and prevents us from always wanting to “keep up with the Joneses.” I really feel that working allows me to make connections and friendships with people I otherwise would have never met or interacted with, and gives me and my family a better, more real worldview.

3. We need the double income

We live in an area with a very high cost-of-living. We love it here and want to remain here, but the reality is that we need the double income to live here. We also get our insurance through my school district and get retirement benefits through my work as well, both of which we are grateful to receive!

4. It makes me a better wife

I am a true extrovert. I need to be around other people and work best when there are others around me to energize me. If I didn’t have work as my outlet for this, I am fairly certain I would overwhelm Mr. Cowboy when he came home from work! I am also fairly certain that were I not able to be around other adults during the day, I’d eventually find myself feeling a little bit resentful of Mr. Cowboy. I realize that might sound crazy, but seriously, the extrovert part of me gets anxious thinking about having to be by myself all day. Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate alone time and there are a TON of things that I could get done during the day, but the idea of having all that time everyday on my own overwhelms me. Being around my colleagues and being able to put my energy to use at school helps me stay fresh and have a different kind of energy when I come home. While work can definitely be exhausting, I find that I am more energized after working than on days when I am not working.

5. It makes me a better mom

Even when Lil’ CB was not in school full time, I still wanted to work. I adore my son and love being with him and hanging out with him, but I also know that we both do best when we have time apart to do our own thing. Before Lil’ CB was in Kindergarten, I worked half time, and that was perfect for us. Lil’ CB had his mornings in preschool, which he loved, and I had my mornings with my Kindergartners, which I loved. I am almost certain that Lil’ CB is also an extrovert, so he really needs and craves time around others, too. Plus, our time apart made our reunions all the more sweeter and made us (or at least made ME ) appreciate the time we did have together. Once Lil’ CB began Kindergarten and was in school all day, I went back to working full time and that has, thankfully, continued to work well for us! Our situation is a little unique because he attends school at my school, but it confirms my decision and want to work all the more. I love that we both have stories to share from our classes and that we are excited to swap them with each other after a day apart. And even though I love being around and teaching other people’s children during the day, there’s nothing like being reunited with your own after a day at work!

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I fully respect and understand that each mom’s decision to work or stay home is her own, and I sincerely hope that whatever your decision is works well for you and your family!