Category Archives: office hours

Said no working mom EVER.

What time is it? Let’s see I get up at 4:30 to shower so that I can enjoy 30-60 minutes of “me” time, which often means falling back asleep, or working out, or reading, or checking email, …you get the picture.

Then its time to get the kids ready and deliver them safely and well fed to school (with maybe enough time to grab a coffee before the first meeting of the day).

Then you see the email from the school, asking for volunteers to help with some classroom event, at 10:15am. What?

Said no working mom EVER

I love getting emails about playgroups and fun, free activities that happen Tuesday at 10:15am… Said no working mom EVER.

“I love getting emails about playgrounds and fun, free activities that happen Tuesday at 10:15am… Said no working mom EVER.”

While I appreciate that some parents have the flexibility in their work lives, and SAHM/SAHDs can often drop things to help out, most working parents, and especially mom with a heightened awareness of taking time away from the office for her kids simply feel left out.

My volunteering at school has been consistently the same – I volunteer to chaperon field trips. I get to hang with my kid, do/see something fun, meet their classmates, meet a few parents, and it is all accomplished in a SINGLE DAY!

I get it, school schedules are tough, most are 6 hours in the middle of a workday. All I’m asking for is a little early heads up. With a little planning, my work has always offered the flexibility to take time, even midday. Is it convenient – never. But it can be done.

All parents want the opportunity to support their child’s education. Some do it with homework help, some volunteer in the classroom, some volunteer to do projects at home, or make things for Teacher Appreciation Week. We just ask for equal opportunity and recognition for the effort we are making on top of our full-time jobs.

Traditions – birthdays together

I decided the day my first son was born that I would spend each of his birthdays with him. Then a couple years later, his brother was born, and a couple years later, the third of my amazing sons joined our family. And each year, I mark their 3 birthdays on my work calendar as Out-Of-Office. This year will mark the 12th year of this tradition, spending their birthdays with them, and I would not trade it for the world. We don’t have to do anything big. Mostly we drop the brothers off at school, then we have a morning activity typically, the Children’s Museum, Aquarium, etc., a lunch out at one of their favorite restaurants, and just spend time together. It won’t be long before my sons have more to say about how they spend their birthdays, but it warmed my heart just yesterday to hear my son whose birthday is only a couple weeks away say “yeah! I get to stay home with mom on that day” because his birthday falls on a school day. For now, we choose to spend their birthdays together. I hope when they are older and I am old, we can maintain this wonderful tradition. I’ll go wherever they are, though I may need more time off.

What special tradition do you have with your children?