Someone recently asked me how I manage to do it all – meaning work full time, travel, be a mom, a wife and make sure our dog Max is fed.
The truth is… I have absolutely no idea.
I swear, sometimes I tell my husband I don't know how we’re able to get through each day unscathed. First, we both have extremely busy jobs. If I'm not on a phone or a computer working… he is. It seems as though our lives never slow down and it can get pretty crazy. In this day and age…I know we're far from the only dual working couples with kids out there.
While any job can be stressful, staying home is no joke. I would argue it can sometimes be even harder. I know because once upon a time I played the role of a stay at home mom…and it was immensely difficult!
Those moments spent with Sofia were truly wonderful but when the time came, I was ready to get back to work. I needed to have conversations with adults and stop trying to spend my days rationalizing with a two-year-old!
My personality doesn’t allow me to slow down. I honestly love the hustle and bustle lifestyle…so even when I stayed home I still kept myself busy.
For several years I was a TV reporter and my husband was a cop. We were dedicated to our careers…always on assignment, in the know and right in the middle of it all. Sometimes we'd be called out to the same murder scene where we’d find ourselves texting each other about who would be able to pick up Sofia.
Over the years we’ve taken on new career paths but not much has changed -- except one thing. When I'm at work, I'm completely dedicated to my job, but when I go home I'm all in as a mom and a wife. Television reporters are expected to be present and ready at all times of the day, turning off at the end of the day wasn’t an option.
But after all those years as a reporter… turning off didn’t come as easily as I’d hoped. It’s especially hard in this world full of people literally addicted to their smartphones. I sadly don't even remember the days before smart phones... and I’ll admit when I lose my phone… I feel somewhat lost.
To be completely honest, I still struggle with stopping myself from being a typical millennial statistic. It’s too easy to get wrapped up in checking Facebook, Twitter, news apps and whatever else to keep myself informed of the latest news. I don’t even know why I care about what's happening with my friends or others I've not talked to in years.
Hey... I'm happy they're happy but it shouldn't be getting in the way of spending time with my family and honestly it was... a little more than I'd care to admit. While I'm not completely disconnected on the weekends and evenings, I've defiantly made an effort to cut back on the constant addiction of checking my phone.
It wasn't until Sofia asked me why I was on my phone all the time that I knew I needed to dial it back. Funny thing is…since I've put down the phone more I've begun noticing the number of people who are on their phones. It’s made me realize that the days of calling people are obsolete. Many of us are sitting at dinner we hardly look up because we are so buried in our phones. It’s saddens me to think that my daughter will grow up living in a world where the conversation has stopped.
I only hope that when Sofia gets older she’ll be able to carry on conversations and not be forced into this societal smartphone age where catching the latest Pokemon has overtaken learning how to communicate with your peers. Don't get me wrong... I'm not hating on the smartphone... I think it's a brilliant piece of technology that many of us can't live without. However, my hope is that it doesn't make us forget to look around and see how beautiful this world really is. It starts with us, as parents, to teach our children that putting down the screen and looking up is as essential as fresh air.
I know this started out as a blog post on balancing work and life but the first step to getting there, for me, is to unplug…literally! Give it a try... It's a great world out there!
Cheers friends!!
The truth is… I have absolutely no idea.
I swear, sometimes I tell my husband I don't know how we’re able to get through each day unscathed. First, we both have extremely busy jobs. If I'm not on a phone or a computer working… he is. It seems as though our lives never slow down and it can get pretty crazy. In this day and age…I know we're far from the only dual working couples with kids out there.
While any job can be stressful, staying home is no joke. I would argue it can sometimes be even harder. I know because once upon a time I played the role of a stay at home mom…and it was immensely difficult!
Those moments spent with Sofia were truly wonderful but when the time came, I was ready to get back to work. I needed to have conversations with adults and stop trying to spend my days rationalizing with a two-year-old!
My personality doesn’t allow me to slow down. I honestly love the hustle and bustle lifestyle…so even when I stayed home I still kept myself busy.
For several years I was a TV reporter and my husband was a cop. We were dedicated to our careers…always on assignment, in the know and right in the middle of it all. Sometimes we'd be called out to the same murder scene where we’d find ourselves texting each other about who would be able to pick up Sofia.
Over the years we’ve taken on new career paths but not much has changed -- except one thing. When I'm at work, I'm completely dedicated to my job, but when I go home I'm all in as a mom and a wife. Television reporters are expected to be present and ready at all times of the day, turning off at the end of the day wasn’t an option.
But after all those years as a reporter… turning off didn’t come as easily as I’d hoped. It’s especially hard in this world full of people literally addicted to their smartphones. I sadly don't even remember the days before smart phones... and I’ll admit when I lose my phone… I feel somewhat lost.
To be completely honest, I still struggle with stopping myself from being a typical millennial statistic. It’s too easy to get wrapped up in checking Facebook, Twitter, news apps and whatever else to keep myself informed of the latest news. I don’t even know why I care about what's happening with my friends or others I've not talked to in years.
Hey... I'm happy they're happy but it shouldn't be getting in the way of spending time with my family and honestly it was... a little more than I'd care to admit. While I'm not completely disconnected on the weekends and evenings, I've defiantly made an effort to cut back on the constant addiction of checking my phone.
It wasn't until Sofia asked me why I was on my phone all the time that I knew I needed to dial it back. Funny thing is…since I've put down the phone more I've begun noticing the number of people who are on their phones. It’s made me realize that the days of calling people are obsolete. Many of us are sitting at dinner we hardly look up because we are so buried in our phones. It’s saddens me to think that my daughter will grow up living in a world where the conversation has stopped.
I only hope that when Sofia gets older she’ll be able to carry on conversations and not be forced into this societal smartphone age where catching the latest Pokemon has overtaken learning how to communicate with your peers. Don't get me wrong... I'm not hating on the smartphone... I think it's a brilliant piece of technology that many of us can't live without. However, my hope is that it doesn't make us forget to look around and see how beautiful this world really is. It starts with us, as parents, to teach our children that putting down the screen and looking up is as essential as fresh air.
I know this started out as a blog post on balancing work and life but the first step to getting there, for me, is to unplug…literally! Give it a try... It's a great world out there!
Cheers friends!!
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