Does this sound familiar?

Before kids, my life was pretty simple and carefree. I worked as a school psychologist for a local school and had a typical M-F work schedule . After work, my husband and I would often go to the gym together, followed by an enjoyable dinner in peace and quiet.  On the weekends, we had more free time to try new things or just hang out together. One of my favorite weekend activities was biking on a beautiful day.  I also loved the nights when I could cozy up on my couch with a good book and a glass of wine.  Just writing about these memories makes me nostalgic!  I liked my job and my life before kids…a lot.  

And then things change

My life now with 3 kids is nothing like before, most notably the “free time” part. I struggle everyday to balance and manage everything. When I was pregnant with my first, I knew life was going to be different. But like they say, It’s one thing to know something intellectually and another to live it.  Everything changed when I became a mom…and I mean everything! After my maternity leave ended, I went back to work and my son went to daycare. It was really hard to juggle a full time job, new baby and life. But, the guilt that I was not spending enough time with him was the one factor I could not quiet.  So about a year after he was born, I decided to be a stay-at-home mom.  We were fortunate financially to be able to do this. And as exhausted as I usually was at the end of the day, I have never regretted this decision. I love being with them full time, and this was the best decision for my family.

Finding shared purpose

That’s the short version of my story, and it is not unique – millions of women and men struggle every day with parenthood to varying degrees.  They certainly don’t teach this in school. So, I am sharing my story, raw details and all. My hope is that by being open, we can connect, provide support, and celebrate this wonderful, life-long journey of parenthood.