I am at home. I am at home as a mom. I am at home as a mom of a 20 month old. I am at home as a working mom of a toddler.
I am at home as a working mom of a toddler. The end. That is my day.
I am up early to make a cup of coffee and answer some emails or create a tutorial video, but it's no use. The moment my son senses someone is up, the calls to Mama and Dadee begin. The calls to Dash (the dog), Nana (my husband's mom), and Papaw (my husband's dad) begin. After a few minutes, he takes a book and begins to flip through the pages. After a few more minutes the cries come. He's done waiting. He KNOWS. He knows someone is up and someone had better come get him.
After that, the "book", "walk", and "more" (I'm hungry) begin. On repeat.
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade this time for anything. Not for a million bajillion fratrillion dollars. Yup made that up. But you get the idea. However, I also recognize that at his age, he needs almost constant engagement. I do not really want to have the TV on all day, and even if I did, it doesn't hold his attention. Books do a good deal of occupying his time while I'm in meetings. So do exploring the "new" toys I set out for him or the activities I prepare (as best as I can). However, when my meetings run for 40+ minutes there are bound to be times when I have to mute the mic to redirect him.
Again, I wouldn't trade it for anything. What would I trade? Just about anything else. What have I traded? Just about everything else. Right now, I feel as if I have almost completely sworn off of social media. I barely talk to my friends. I talk to my parents and my husband's parents. And when I say talk, I mean I send them pictures of their grandchild once or twice a day send a text or two back and forth and then get distracted by work or my son. I have one friend who will message me at any given time 8-9 EST or 10-11 EST. I usually respond in the morning when I am awake before the rest of my household and it's 3-4am PST. This is my world.
This is my world right now. I can't be on Twitter. I can't do Twitter chats. I can't update on Instagram and Facebook. I can't be a presence and support. I can't...and that's OK. Because I am doing chats with my son as he practices saying new words. It's OK because I am updating my family on how we are doing and getting updates on how they are doing. It's OK because I am a presence for my teachers and my family. I am here to support them.
So if you are trying to #jugglethestruggleEDU hardcore right now, it's ok. Pick a priority or two...and then for everything else, you can't...and that's OK.
