Making It Work
Before the pandemic, I was one of the millions of women "making it work." I was running The Adventure Project, raising a toddler, and pregnant with our second child.
I always wanted to be a working mom. But the reality felt like I was holding everything together with scotch tape and a prayer. One wrong move and everything unraveled. As a small example, while working in a co-working space, a guy kept booking the breast pumping room for his podcast recordings. Once, when childcare fell through, I brought our baby to a cocktail event. (I fed him a cheese plate for dinner, and he loved it). Don't get me started on the daily anxiety around delayed subways and daycare pick-ups.
"No problem" was my mantra. And I got good at jogging to daycare in a pencil skirt. But the truth is, making it work was very stressful.
When the pandemic hit, the band-aid was ripped off. And, the wound wasn't pretty.
I quickly realized that what I was doing before was nearly impossible with a toddler at home. Then, after I gave birth to our second child, I learned how hard it was to work late when no one is sleeping.
We built The Adventure Project on the belief that everyone deserves a good job.
So, I am embarrassed to say, it took me a year to shed the guilt and fear I had about my own role and devise a new work strategy.
I'll also point out that I'm better off than most. I can work remotely; I have a good husband and stable household income. Childcare is back (thank the Lord!); and I benefit from white privilege.
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