Like most working Moms, I struggle with the guilt of leaving my child with someone else, especially since I spend 40 hours a week at work. Yes, we have weekends and the mornings before and after work, but to me, that's just not enough and knowing I spend more time in an office than I do with my child is a hard pill to swallow. I get invited places and just say no if it's not an appropriate place for kids to come as well because if I'm going anywhere, you better believe my baby is coming with me. How could I possibly leave her with someone else when the time we've spent together during the week is minuscule? Am I even allowed to sit down and breathe for a second? What if I miss a milestone? Am I bad Mom for wanting to spend time with my friends? Shouldn't all of my free time be dedicated to my baby? These are a just a few of many questions that I constantly ask myself, until recently. By no means was I unhappy, but I did feel like a part of my life was missing, that part being a social life and I felt selfish for even wanting it.

Since becoming a Mom, making time for myself has been one of the most difficult things to do. In fact, I don't think I ever really made much time for myself before I had Kaylin. I had to take a step back and ask myself, "When was the last time I did something for me?" I couldn't even answer that question. I became fully aware that I needed to dedicate more time to doing things that make me happy & let me tell you, it is one of the best things I have done for myself since becoming a Mom. I went out a couple nights recently and it felt so good to be around friends. Did I talk about Kaylin most of the time, yes lol, but man did I need some adult conversations. I don't think I realized how important a social life is, but those few nights out brought me so much happiness so moving forward I'm going to be sure I set aside more time for myself.

We all have busy lives, but never be too busy for yourself. If you want to give your child the best version of you, then that time is necessary and that's what I've come to realize. I hope this posts helps any Moms going through the same thing. I don't think the guilt will ever disappear completely, but it does get a tad bit easier.