I spent a long time wondering why I didn’t feel content with JUST being a stay-at-home mom or JUST being a working mom.
I saw women run businesses who were killing it with content, bookings, and networking and in the next scroll see mom’s fully engaged and interactive with their little ones at home. Each called to me in different ways, and I didn’t understand why. Pick one or the other Kira!
It wasn’t until recently I understood my personality and my heart more fully. I wanted to share it with you in case your heart is battling the same thing.
I was created with a hybrid heart. The desires in my heart are not made up or to be ignored. They are each there for their own purpose. And both purposes are good.
I love spending time with kids and learning from their perspective on life. I don’t want someone else getting my daughter’s cuddles when she wakes up from a nap; someone else baking cookies with my oldest at 11am on a Friday. I am the one that is with my kids for most of their time in these life forming years and I can’t imagine not doing that.
That being said.. there is another part of my heart that is equally important. The part of me that creates beautiful art and makes people feel known and loved on one of their favorite days of their life.
I can’t imagine not documenting my brides first when they see themselves in their wedding dress, often times helping them bustle up the back; not working hard to make sure everything goes as perfectly as possible so my brides can have the best day ever!
And so I do both. I run a successful business and I stay at home with my kids during the week. I am a working mom.
Of course it isn’t easy.. I am constantly evaluating what needs my attention at any different point during the day. I constantly have to fight for “balance”.. doing my best to give equal attention to both (which spoiler alert.. does not always happen). And most importantly..
I have to stop feeling like I should be doing more as a mom or more as a business woman.
Because I do both, I will never be able to do each “to the fullest”. I won’t be able to shoot 25 weddings a year and have the trendiest instagram content. I can’t plan interactive activities for my kids most every day or have a home cooked healthy meal for them every night.
But I CAN do my best at each and CHOOSE to be content and proud of the work I have done that day.
Mamas who stay at home with their kids full-time are doing incredibly important work in creating healthy children who will become healthy adults.
Women who work full time are doing incredibly important work in providing for their families and positively impacting others outside of their homes. It’s all important work in different ways.
You must figure out what important work YOU were called to do and focus on that!
As I try to figure out how to spend my time as a stay at home mama and a business owner I remember..
When you are saying “yes” to one thing you are saying “no” to another.. so make sure the “yes” is worth the “no”.
If I am going to take on an additional wedding.. I have to make sure it’s worth missing out on family time that day. If I am going to say no to a business opportunity.. it’s because I need to spend time loving and nurturing my family. My “yes” must always be worth my “no”.
We can’t possibly do it all ladies.. so do the work that sets your soul on fire.. whatever that work may be!
It is all needed.
