For Sale: One Slightly Used Supermom's Cape

By Barb Niehaus

My telecommuting career began in 1987 shortly after my first of four kids was born. I naively envisioned my home office humming ever so smoothly while my child gathered around while I read or played with him. It was an idyllic Norman Rockwell scene, this fantasy of mine.

Within six very short years, I gave birth to an additional three daughters while still working from home. My Shangri-La of the "perfect" work-at-home mom soon gave way to nothing less than controlled chaos on a good day! My past fantasies had never included sick kids, sibling battles, lack of sleep and constant tug of war between looming work deadlines and kids that needed their Mom.

Total exhaustion had a hold on me constantly from trying the impossible task of being Supermom. I discovered that when you walk into the home of another working mom whose house is immaculate, you could make some deductions. First, her children are lacking for attention while Mom constantly keeps the house tidied and secondly, this is a "house", not a "home."

My kids have friends whose moms have beautifully kept homes but these are the houses that no other kids are allowed to enter. These moms send their kids over to houses like ours because they know that I'll always welcome them, offer snacks and some attention. I think I'd rather walk around the clutter in my house while hearing the laughter of my kids and their friends.

I remind myself frequently, also, that my main objective to being a WAHM (work at home mother) was to be able to spend quality time with my family. So, the next time you drive past a house with a slightly overgrown lawn, full of bikes and see a gaggle of kids running through a sprinkler, you can bet it's my house.

My laundry may look like Mount McKinley, we eat fast food or Tuna Helper a lot, you can write your name in the dust on my dining room table BUT we're sure having a good time!! So PLEASE take my Supermom cape -- it's cheap and it doesn't fit me any longer.

 

Barb Niehaus of Cincinnati, Ohio created Moms @ Home Working, http://www.moms-home-work.com, to assist women who are looking for "the perfect balance between work and family".

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Copyright 2000 Barb Niehaus - All rights reserved