My Baby Smells Like Someone Else

Don't know why, but I am in a reflective mood...I have been a working mom for almost four years now. From the beginning, I always knew that I pretty much had to work. If I really, really had wanted to stay home, I am sure that we would have figured out a way to make it work. I loved working at my school, so when I got pregnant with Adilyn it really never crossed my mind to stay home. I remember that summer when Adilyn was little, I watched an episode of Oprah about mothers. Ironically, it was all about different types of parenting. I will never forget the conversation between two women in their 50's. One worked throughout their child's life, the other stayed home. Both had regrets. The one that worked said that she felt like she missed out on some things that her kids did or were involved in. The one that stayed home said that she felt like she didn't let her kids be independent enough. I knew right then, that no matter what you choose, you could always find something that you might regret. You have to just do what feels right, or what you have to do, and you make the best of it. There have definitely been some hard moments as a working mom, but there have also been some very sweet moments, too.
I always said that I would go crazy if I stayed at home all the time, but I realize now that I just told myself (and everybody else) that so I wouldn't feel bad about working. Overall, I do not feel guilty for working, but I don't know how I'll feel years down the road. I know that once they start elementary school things will be fine, but I hope that I don't regret not spending those first five years of their lives at home. Right now, I don't feel like I really missed out on anything major, but who really knows how I will feel in the end.

Top Five Things I Hate Most About Having My Kids in Daycare:
5. Having to wake up sleeping babies early in the morning.
4. Sending them to school when you think they might be sick, but you aren't really sure.
3. When you notice scratches or bruises on them, but you don't know what happened.
2. When other kids are mean to them or physically hurt them (biting, pushing, etc)
1. When they come home and they smell like somebody else's perfume!

Top Five Things I Love Most About Having My Kids in Daycare:
5. Watching them when they don't know I am watching them on the playground or in their classroom just "doing their thing".
4. Knowing that kindergarten will not be such a shock to their system!
3. Knowing that they have to figure things out on their own and solve their own problems without me being there to fix everything for them.
2. Seeing all their artwork and projects that they have done.
1. Hearing stories about all their experiences and friendships.

With all that being said, I really feel like the most important thing is the quality of the time you spend with your kids. I am sure that there are stay at home moms that may be with their kids all day long, but never really spend much quality time with them. I try to spend those sweet 3 hours that we have together each evening, the weekends, and the holidays completely "with" them. We play, we sing, we dance, we play princesses, or whatever silliness that Adilyn cooks up. I hope that I will always be able to give them the quality time that they deserve to create many special memories!