I’m back! After a year’s maternity leave to take care of my daughter Tessa, three weeks ago I settled in my desk chair, flexed my fingers over the keyboard and was off, just like I’d never left.
… If only it were that simple.
I admit it: coming back to work after taking such a long break was incredibly difficult. A few months ago I was an emotional seesaw. On the one hand, I was looking forward to using my brain in a different way, rejoining the team of awesome women at Seaside, reconnecting with our clients and readers, and making a decent paycheck again. The more emotional, primitive side of me, however, didn’t care about all that: I had a baby, she needed me, and that was that. How could I even think about leaving her in the care of a near stranger just so I could work?
Luckily, I found a great childcare situation and figured out a schedule that would allow me lots of time with Tessa while still meeting my work obligations. I am very fortunate to have a job where I’m able to set my own hours, which helped ease my mind … and as my “back to work date” neared, I stopped worrying and started simply looking forward to it.
In this issue we celebrate technology and innovation. These days, the one piece of technology I couldn’t live without is my smart phone. Yes, it drives me nuts how addicted I am to it, but what it offers me as a working mom is priceless.
I use it to quickly search the listings on the Sidney Mom’s Buy/Sell/Swap on Facebook whenever I realize there’s something Tessa needs. Bigger shoes? A rain suit to shield her from the West Coast weather? A sleep sack for daycare? Check, check, and check … all without having to venture out to the store, or pay full price for items that will only be used for a short time.
I use it to stay connected to what’s going on with Tessa when I’m working: what she ate for lunch, how long she napped or a cute video of her and a friend outside having fun. My smart phone came in particularly handy lately when Tessa developed a very rapidly-spreading rash while at daycare – I was sent a few pics which allowed me to judge whether she needed to go to the walk-in clinic.
Best of all, my smart phone is a big part of how I’m able to balance being a mom and being Editor-in-Chief: spending time with my daughter while still being reachable to my clients, writers and Seaside team. And that’s a smart thing.
