O-mama - Opinionated Moms

I feel for you lisamarie! i too went back to work when my daughter was about that age...so the only advice i can give you is to try and do some baby steps from now until then to become a little independent leading up to the big day. Take a day here and there to be apart so that your son knows that MAMA always comes back. Then just go with a positive attitude..."this is no big deal, big hug, big kiss, see you in a bit" type deal. The less stress they detect in you, the more "normal" it will seem. Remember, they don't know the difference..they will take your lead. I guess that's what's I did and my daughter was okay (in fact, she was fine and I was the one who was a bit sad..but then, that's motherhood, right?) Good luck and keep us posted!

Thank goodness for my sister! I just went back to work full time and she is a godsend. I pay her $10 per day, she picks him up from school, he gets a snack, he does homework with her kids, and a happy safe environment. I'm not saving a ton of money and I can't write it off on taxes but knowing he is happy and safe means a lot. I pay for the family health insurance so Hubby helps with this and we balance the other bills. I tried the Y - too expensive. B&G Club was too chaotic, and a friend (neighbor) kept flaking on me leaving me to "text scramble" a solution at the last minute. He is too young to be home alone. I hope other MAMA's are finding the help they need, too!

You are a lucky MAMA! We all need a sister like that. (-: If you are paying her, though, I think you can get the childcare tax credit. Look into it...also, let me know if you hear back from Mar1950, we've reached out to her but haven't heard back. We are worried about her and want to make sure she is getting the care she needs. Thanks MAMA!

Nah - if I claim it on taxes I need to provide a social or a Fed tax ID#. Can't do that to your sis!

(-:

Marl - You should look into medical bankruptcy! Don't try and do things alone it is WAY too hard. Reach out to the Mama's they will help!

I think there are jobs being created in that sector...home builders are getting tax credits for including energy efficient options, wind turbines are being manufactured in the mid-west, tax credits are going out to home owners that buy solar panels, etc. Check it out: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

Balance...definitely worth striving for...difficult really achieving. Keep trying gals.

Did you enjoy your Mother's Day? Makes it all worth it when the kids make cute cards and stuff for us...they really DO think we're great! Anyway..back to work today...keep all the love expressed yesterday and keep on workin' away for the benefit of our families.

I would say so, I feel like if something happens to my job, then what else is there. It is pretty scary.

I would tell you that it gets easier, but I would by lying...when they are tiny, something always nags at you. But, you will get better at dealing with it. And, as they get older...some times you'll RUN out the door! (-:

LA how are you feeling now with a 5 month old child? those monday's getting easier? I have two school age kids and thats when it gets easier in some ways and more difficult after school cuz you have to still do homework after and be "on" make sure to take time on the weekends to play and re charge!

I have to agree with tired mama...it definitely gets harder before it gets easier!! just wait till that sweet little baby starts talking and says "Don't leave mama!!" ... Killer!! That said, be proud of what you are accomplishing everyday as a contributing member of the U.S. economy and as a role model for your child.

...or cries for the nanny instead of you! heart break. but, I love the tone in here...moms wear so many hats and it's really hard sometimes...it's great to know there are other women going through the same things! time to update the blog post though O-MAMA...

Hi there! I think we ALL go through what you are feeling...voluntarily or not. Some of us chose to work, some don't. Some of us want to work, some don't. You are definitely not alone. Embrace your situation and make the most out of it. I agree with "tiredmom" ... tackle your job as "mom" as you would any other. You'll be great at it. And, try to stay connected and social with your girlfriends, friends from work and other moms. The key is staying connected to the world, and the bigger issues going on, so you don't feel isolated and in babyland all the time. That's why I love O-MAMA. It merges our job as moms and keeps us connected to the rest of the country! Good luck...stay in touch.

Hi, thanks for the advice. Christmas break helped me alot since both my son and husband were home for Christmas break and I wasn't by myself so much and helped with the baby. It is sometimes difficult when as a very sensitive and creative person that I am, it's hard to find like-minded people and work helped my express myself a daily basis and at home I don't have that. I recently started putting some of my focus on learning and understand the "law of attraction" and listening to motivational type audios that have been extremely helpful. As you used the term "babyland", yes, I think that is where I've been this last year :) and it's about time I ventured out a little more :). Thanks again!

Hi Tsukismom! I think a lot of moms experience what you are experiencing...first time moms, second time moms and third time moms. I feel like I am just now emerging from "babyland" and it's been 10 years!!?#!?@!? YIKES. Anyway, if you have found audio tapes or books that have helped you redefine yourself as creativeMOM, please let us know...we'd love to share with other moms dealing with the same issues. Also, if there are specific outlets that you have found (photography, writing, etc.), let us know that, too. O-MAMA is about taping into each others collective experiences to support ALL moms in the hard work of raising kids. So, thanks for putting it out there and sharing yours...-Michelle

Hi, well, a few years ago my sister gave me "The Secret" Dvd and I watched it but never acted on it. The law of attraction takes time to sink in to your belief system. I was depressed this past year for a long time and felt sad. Whether it was my hormones or my situation, it didn't matter, I knew I needed to do something different since my behavior started to affect my marriage and my well-being. And so, I watched "The Secret" again recently, and it jump started my motivation to start feeling positive again. My husband was very supportive and with this new year he has started gathering audios and online books for me to focus my attention on. I recommend to you moms watch "The Secret", but not just once. The guest speakers do a great job to give examples on what you need to do and visually make sense in how it was done. Make an effort to read up on law of attraction and by doing so it will reinfore your understanding. Here is a link of some audios you can listen to. At the start of the web page, go through and hit the STOP button on them all first, they seem to all start at the same time. http://www.universallawstoday.com/audios/audiofiles.html The key things to remember with this is visualize what you want by feeling that way right now as if you already have it. Your thoughts and your feelings go hand in hand! You can then manifest in what you want. I've just started this and for now, I'm in a positive state and feeling better than I did before. Also, you can create a vision board of the things you want to achieve in life. It can be a collage of pictures, phrases, whatever you want to help you along. Hey, if anyone has done this already, I'd love to you hear your results!! Thanks

Sounds great! Thanks for your insights. I am a firm believer in the power of your mind and I believe "happiness" and "contentment" are a state of mind. It is not always easy, but a positive attitude is a choice. I wish you much happiness and good KARMA this year...put out good stuff into the universe and good stuff will come back to you!

Right On!