Posted by admin · 15 Comments
As a freelancer there are terribly long stretches when I'm not working and others when I'm working like a banchee. Most recently I missed my girls first day of school while I was away for work. As you will see in this video it was BRUTAL.
15 Responses to “One of the Many Struggles of Being a Working Mom”
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So what is "LizzieBtv" and why should you care? Well, I'm LizzieB - a former tv news anchor and reporter who spent 15-plus years working days, nights, early mornings, holidays and weekends to bring viewers the news of the day.
For a good long time, I thrived on reporting breaking news and anchoring from the set. The daily dose of heart pumping adrenaline was addictive. But several years ago I took a fabulous life detour. I got married, had a baby, quit my tv news job and ended up with a nasty dose of postpartum depression. (It's real Tom, just ask Brooke!)
In the blink of an eye, I went from a career woman dressed in snazzy suits with very big hair and camera ready makeup to a crazy lady who was constantly harried, unprepared and disheveled. I won't lie, I was a new mom and I was a mess.
Fortunately, my love for reporting kicked in and I delved into researching all things mom-related.
Look, I'm no expert. I'm a real mom, wife, friend and daughter trying to balance it all. I don't know everything and never will, but I have learned a few parenting tips and tricks along the way and I want to share them with you. And hopefully you can enlighten me with your motherhood triumphs and challenges as well.
Whether you stay for two minutes or two hours - thanks for dropping by LizzieBtv... the place where you'll always find "views of a real mom" not a super mom. Welcome to the journey!
Lizzie,
Your girls are so blessed to have you for a mom. To watch you pursue your passion and dreams is the unspoken lesson your kids will take away from this… because what is life without passion and dreams.
Thank you for sharing,
Ros
Lizzie,
Thanks for making me end my day with a good cry! Seriously, I just finished the 11pm show and now I’m sitting at my desk wiping tears off my face. Oh how I can relate… and Terra is only 6 months old! I was crushed when I missed hearing her laugh for the first time because I was at work. I know it was just the first of many maternal disappointments. And don’t even get me started on the sleep deal. Working nights with an infant? I’m lucky if I get four hours of z’s. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
Keep shining the light on these very real topics that we all live… but few talk about.
Katy
I LOVE your site! And, in response to your question I honestly don’t know how people do it. I was a working mom when I had my first (until he was 3) and all it taught me was that I couldn’t do it! I’m emotionally weak like that, though:). Plus, I couldn’t afford three kids in daycare on a teacher’s salary so it wasn’t really an issue. Now that my last is about to turn 2 I’m debating the whole work-stay home question and for now, stay home (but have my own business which is almost just as bad!) is winning out. I’m not sure I’ll ever go back at this rate b/c I can always find at least 5 good reasons not to. Not the least of which is doing most of my work in a robe! Thanks for sharing.
Oooh lizzie! I cried with you! Thank god you didn’t show the girls at preschool because i surely woulda been waiting to give them candy or something equally healthy to assuage the guilt! My son is currently in nursery school and i feel awful if i don’t get him his favorite breakfast on a school day. Guess we all have our own limits as to what gets our heartstrings. Just know though, your girls will always be so proud of all your accomplishments and hey, i’m fine with rewriting history and photoshopping your image into those 1st day of school pixs. You know with enough time passing, you’ll remember it just that exact way too!
Hi LB,
congratulations on your great website! I’m so proud!!!
Looks great…video is clear and crisp!
Take care, love, jules
Jules,
thanks for the lovely note!
thrilled that my video got your approval!
xoxo
LizzieB
To all you busy Mom’s who’ve taken time out to watch this video. Thank you, thank you, thank you! It wasn’t easy to do and every time I watch it I still cry.
Hey Lizzie,
I’m in my last year of school and I can (almost) officially call myself a journalist. I really want to have a succesfull carreer. But I also want to be a great mommy. And I think you are my inspiration for that matter. I mean, you love reporting, and you didn’t let motherhood get in the way of persueing your dreams. You used it as inspiration! I’m so glad times have changed. Back in the days women had 2 options. Or they chose to have amazing carreers and earn lots of money. Or they became moms… I’m glad we can do both now a days.
Being a good mom and being a good journalist are equally important to me. Because I don´t believe I can be a good mom if i totally neglect my own dreams and ambitions. And I want my kid to look up to me and get inspired by what i’ve accomplished ( carreer and life wise)
I´m 18 now. But when i’m 20 something, working at ELLE and juggeling being a great wife and mom, i´ll think about all the topics you discussed and how you dealt with it.
And I think your girls are going to be so proud of they´re mommy when they grow up. Because their mom is a really strong woman! ( And an inspiration!)
Thank you!
Lizzie – thanks for sharing this. I just started freelancing a couple of days a week after having our daughter Madeline in July. Last week – one of my first days back to work – she was scheduled to have her Halloween picture taken. I wanted to go so bad and tried to reschedule everything but in the end I had to let it go, and ask my siser-in-law to take her. So that incident is on a much smaller scale than what you recently experienced; but it just goes to show – I just got back and I’m already feeling the tug of war!!
Carie.
Hey Lizzie-
Great Video ….
I am not a working mom yet, although I am a full time student and run two websites…. I have no clue what the future holds for me: if I will be a stay at home mom or a working mom or even a work at home mom. Kids our of course the most important thing, but you have to pursue your dreams and put food on the table!
Missing their first day of preschool, I’m sure was tough- but they are big girls now! I’m sure it went well, you came home that night and asked them too many questions about it
and gave them tons of hugs.
Emily
Hey LizzieB…oh, sister, those college days were so long ago and it’s been so much fun to track your success. And now look at you and LizzieB TV. So proud of you.
I honestly don’t know how any of us crazy moms do it. I think most days it’s heads down, power thru, don’t look up for fear of the Mac truck coming your way.
Keep doing what you’re doing, girl! Love it!
xo
Deb
In answer to your question, not well. I hate trying to do both. If I had a choice, I would be a full-time Mom, because that’s what’s most important to me. But, since I don’t I have to tell myself that I’m doing what’s best for my child right now to keep the bills paid. It’s sooo hard. Especially as a freelancer working from home. My husband is with her all day, so that’s the good thing. I keep going by knowing that one day my husband will go back to work and I can go back to being my toddler’s mommy again.
Mama Bird, juggling both work and kids is beyond difficult. I think what makes it sooo hard is the personal guilt that mothers subject themselves to. I think as long as we give 100% to our kids when we’re with them it’s quality not quanity that matters most. Hang in there, it all goes by so very, very fast.
Debbie,
Yes, college was a lifetime ago wasn’t it! Thanks for not mentioning the year (okay, if you must know folks, it was like circa 1980-something)… Ha! I totally agree about you’re “head down, power thru” theory. Oh and a glass of wine now and then helps too!
LB!!!!!
GREAT vlogs. Love the commentary, topics, and knowing that we are not alone! Your family is beautiful and glad to know that life is good for you! Life is great, too, and BUSY! Working full-time and with my job I travel about 40% of the time. Needless to say, I miss more than a few events. To your point, it is not as obvious to them, and we just have to do the best we can as ask their input about when they need us. Of course a few more years and they won’t want us so involved!
Miss the college days, road trips home, and roommate stories!
Love, Tracy