WOHM jealous today of SAH parents

[wendibird22]

Ever had one of those days were everywhere you go you see SAHMs and SAHDs with their adorable kids and wish you were one of them? I ran a lunch errand today and seriously, I think I was the only WOH parent in the entire store. I wanted so badly to whip out my cell phone, call my boss to say I wasn't coming back to the office today, and then race to DCP to get my kid. But, since that just isn't possible I grabbed a yummy, gooey, disgustingly fake hostess cupcake at the check out line and ate it on the way back to work. And yes, it made me feel better.

I should also add that I'm PMSing and fending off the beginning of a cold. Probably should have bought a whole box of cupcakes!!

[maestramommy]

:hug:

If it makes you feel any better, there are days when I'm wrangling two kids on a bad day at the store, and seeing people totally childless while sedately shopping. sigh.

[wendibird22]

:hug:

If it makes you feel any better, there are days when I'm wrangling two kids on a bad day at the store, and seeing people totally childless while sedately shopping. sigh.

And that's the funny thing...I'd rather shop alone than with DD. I guess it's the notion that I can't even if I wanted too!

[Melaine]

:hug:

If it makes you feel any better, there are days when I'm wrangling two kids on a bad day at the store, and seeing people totally childless while sedately shopping. sigh.

Me too....when I get back from target or the mall completely exhausted and without the items I specifically went to purchase due to double meltdowns from the two year old twins and/or I couldn't fit in the stores with my ginormous double stroller.....The grass is always greener.

[Puddy73]

Yes, all the time. There is a little coffee shop between the parking garage and my office and it always gives me a pang when I look in and see a mom or dad hanging out with their DC, especially if I've had a crummy day at work.

Hope that you are feeling better!

[almostmom]

but I wouldn't want to do it everyday! I love my kids, but we are all better going our separate ways in the morning! But my friends whose kids head off to school every day - definitely guilty of jealousy here!

But remember, you don't always know what you're seeing. I have Fridays off, and when I'm out and about with my kids I know people probably think that I am home with them because we are at the library on a Friday morning. Some people work Saturdays, so are home during the week. But on stressful days, it does seem like it would be SO much easier to just deal with the stress of kids, and not that on top of a boss or coworkers with huge expectations and deadlines.

The grass is always greener, and the reality is both sides are really hard. Hang in there - sending you a cupcake...

[citymama]

:hug:

If it makes you feel any better, there are days when I'm wrangling two kids on a bad day at the store, and seeing people totally childless while sedately shopping. sigh.

So the worst part is, as a working in an office mom, I neither get the time with the kid, nor the leisure to go sedately shopping. DD is always with me when I am out and about.

I totally hear you, OP, I gaze jealously at the parents walking around with ergos to the park as I take the bus to DD's daycare after a long day in the office. I have to figure out a way to join that group if we ever have a second kid!

[mamaoftwins]

Me too....when I get back from target or the mall completely exhausted and without the items I specifically went to purchase due to double meltdowns from the two year old twins and/or I couldn't fit in the stores with my ginormous double stroller.....The grass is always greener.

Haha, oh yes, this is us, too.

I do agree that the grass is always greener ... I look at the moms with 1 baby in a nice carrier and I think that it would be awesome to tote my babe securely around with me like that. Instead of dragging the double stroller out of the trunk to get two babies settled, run my errand, and then two babies and stroller back in the car, repeat ... Don't get me wrong, I would never change that I had two ... I just wonder what one would have been like ...

[wencit]

I do agree that the grass is always greener ... I look at the moms with 1 baby in a nice carrier and I think that it would be awesome to tote my babe securely around with me like that. Instead of dragging the double stroller out of the trunk to get two babies settled, run my errand, and then two babies and stroller back in the car, repeat ... Don't get me wrong, I would never change that I had two ... I just wonder what one would have been like ...Tee hee! I always wonder what it would be like to have twins (especially identical). Just get labor and delivery over in 1 shot, not have to do newborn-nights-walking-the-halls-like-a-zombie twice, pay for college for 4 years and then you're done, that sort of thing. :)

[Nooknookmom]

ITA w/ the grass is always greener. I've done both WOHM w/ DD1 & now SAHM w/ DD2. Both have their benefits.

There are days that I *WISH* I could run out at lunchtime to eat in peace or shop for 45 minutes, without a toddler screaming, knocking everything off the table or insisting that we nurse the entire time. Money would not be as tight around here if I were able to work (I'm also not working now b/c of a severe back injury). However, after being so stressed all day, I look at her little face as she sleeps attached to my boob and think how much I would miss being here with her. So there are good things & bad on both sides of the pasture ;)

Please don't feel down - BTW, have anymore cupcakes? :)

[DrSally]

ITA too that the grass is always greener. I would enjoy the time wo/kids and socializing with adults that WOTH moms have. But, when DS and I are out doing something fun, having lunch together, etc. on a sunny day, I feel like the luckiest person in the world. The important thing is to enjoy the pros of the situation you have, though, b/c each have cons!

[MamaKath]

I wish I was able to be a SAHM again. Right now I guess I have the best (or worst depending on how you look at it) of both worlds. I work where my kids attend school so I see them during the day. When I am not at work they are always with me because of dh's schedule. I don't get a break long enough most days to go somewhere without them. As a sahm all my efforts were directly to benefit my family. As a wohm, my efforts benefit the family more financially, but emotionally I am often much more spent. I get sad sometimes that other people's kids get the best me, not my own kids. I would love to be a sah- homeschooling mama, just isn't in my current hand of cards. Ita that the grass is always greener though.

[s7714]

If it makes you feel any better, there are days when I'm wrangling two kids on a bad day at the store, and seeing people totally childless while sedately shopping. sigh.

:yeahthat: And even as a SAHM myself, I often get jealous of all the families I see doing things together during the week. Both mom and dad will drop off the kiddos at school or be shopping together as a family. I can't think of the last time DH voluntarily went to a store with us (excluding trips to Best Buy or hardware stores) and no way it'd happen on a weekday! BUT, like PP said about the greener grass, I know just because it looks all nice and fun for both parents to be there, life isn't always that simple. Two of my friend's have DHs that work odd hour jobs (and one is a ER nurse herself). The DHs are often home during key weekday times to do things with the family, but I frequently hear both parents wishing that their families had a more traditional schedule for a whole slew of reasons.

[saschalicks]

I'm crying (could be pregnancy hormones) b/c I've been feeling that so much lately it hurts. Here's the rub of it all: I don't think I'm cut out to be a SAHM. I just feel like there has to be a middle ground and yet financially in my world there isn't. The grass is always WAY greener.

[wendibird22]

I'm crying (could be pregnancy hormones) b/c I've been feeling that so much lately it hurts. Here's the rub of it all: I don't think I'm cut out to be a SAHM. I just feel like there has to be a middle ground and yet financially in my world there isn't. The grass is always WAY greener.

Yup, right there with you. Thing is I like my job (most days). I totally love a 3 day work week!!! Now to me, that's the best of both worlds!!

[mommylamb]

First off, I'm a bit of a posting newby... what does WOHM stand for (I assume it's an achronym that means a mom that works away from home, but not sure exactly).

I work full time and commute into the city, which should only be a 25 minute trip but I live in a very trafficy area, so it's more like an hour each way. So, yeah, definitely jealous sometimes of the SAHM crowd. Especially when my weekday time with DS is basically an hour of getting ready and rushing around in the morning and an hour and a half of dinner/bathing/bedtime ritual at night. If I get 20 minutes of quality time, that's a good day. I know staying at home has its own stresses, but I think for me life would be a lot less stressful with just those stresses.

But, I also like that my child gets to go to daycare and gets exposed to other people (even if I envy them sometimes). I also like my job, it's mentally stimulating and interesting to me. When I was on maternity leave after DS was born, I started to get "mommy brain" and all I could think about was nursing and dirty diapers...

I just wish I could do the part time thing... best of both worlds.

However, I just have 1 child, so my hat is off to all of you juggeling work and multiple kids. I want to be there some day, but it looks really really hard. I have a lot of respect for mothers of multiple kids!