If I could go back to Deanna in 2014 and show her a picture of what my life looks like now – I don’t even think she’d believe me.
Rebuilding my life as a single mom was HARD – especially after 4 years of being a stay at home mom without much, if any, of my own income.
I recognize that I have had a much easier journey than many others. I got my education and started my career before marriage and kids. So although I lost some career years while taking care of my family, getting back into full time work was fairly straightforward.
I’m also blessed with an amazing village. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends have helped me in more ways than one with raising these two little humans.
I never planned on becoming a stay at home mom – I was grateful for the time I got to spend with my kids while they were tiny. But I am not a natural homemaker and I desperately missed adult interaction and mental stimulation. Spending all day with a baby and toddler felt like a continuous loop of brain melt.
When I rejoined the full time workforce in 2015 as a single mom, I was not prepared for how hard it would be. Again, I have a village, I have socio-economic privilege and a present (albeit, long-distance) co-parent. Even with these advantages, I was tired. I had a job that required traveling 10-12 times a year, while raising young children who were physically needy. I had at least one of them in my bed everynight, which meant my sleep definitely could have been better.
Because I was restarting financially, I also took on part time work and side hustles to pay off debts and create some kind of emergency fund.
And because I’m a glutton for punishment, I also made sure the kids were involved in extra-curricular activities. From the time my youngest was 3, I schlepped them to swim lessons every Saturday like clockwork. My oldest joined Girl Scouts and played soccer, while the little one tried her hand at gymnastics.
Moral of the story is, your girl was tired dot com.
When COVID first hit, the idea of working from home did not appeal to me at all. I was convinced that I would not be as productive, even though I looked forward to sleeping in and working in my pajamas!
But it turns out that my kids needed more time with me, and I needed a less hectic lifestyle.
The role I had at the time was temporarily remote but I knew eventually we’d have to return the office. And I knew I couldn’t go back to that lifestyle.
Not only did I find a permanently remote work-from-home position, but I also moved to a new neighborhood. I can now walk my youngest to and from school each day, and my oldest rides the bus.
No more rushing us all out the door to before school daycare each morning, or eating dinner in the car as I take them to extra-curriculars. Working from home has made parenting, especially as a single parent, much more manageable.
And I’m so proud of 2014 Deanna, for doing everything in her power to get us to where we are today ❤️
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