Working Mom

One of my biggest worries is being a working mother - as of now, I definitely plan on going back to work - as flexible full time.

A valued designer who sits next to me is the mother of an 8-month old and was able to come back 3 days a week. I don’t know if I can get away with that seeing as my position is becoming more responsible. I need to think out some scenarios; 4 days a week, one at home; 5 days but leave early every day... ?

I’m extremely thankful that my Director is a mother of 3 and just had her third baby this past December. She’s extremely supportive and said she had a flexible schedule with her first as well.

Finding childcare is going to be hard - I already have an uneasy feeling to larger big-box daycares. All I can think of is germs and sickness and 1 adult for like 10 kids. At the same time I don’t know anyone who watches children, but wonder if that’s more expensive. I have a lot of research to do to see what fits best with our lifestyle and schedule!

And another rough point with me - I don’t think I’ll take the bus anymore : ( Our dumb route has a last run to downtown at 8am and first run back to West Chester at 3:45pm. So that’s a very large window if my child was sick to get out to the suburbs and I could be stuck downtown with no bus.

Which then makes me think of my next vehicle! I’m lucky to have a '98 Corolla that has lasted me - it’s a very reliable car with good gas mileage. It’s totally fine that it’s rough around the edges and I feel like a college student driving it and not like an adult one bit. Sigh. Someday I’ll own a car from the 2000’s. But essentially I want a vehicle that’s more versatile; a Subaru Outback, Toyota Highlander/RAV4, Mazda 3 hatchback... but I know none of these have as good gas mileage as a smaller [non-versatile] Corolla for going up and down I-75.

And that serene time of zoning out on a bus will be lost. I just read that people who have long commutes have rougher marriages - !? And I know sometimes when I do drive I come home in a bad mood because of traffic - ack.

Oh the changes coming... it’s all worth it right? : )