Preschool Vs. Stay at Home

Recently, I met with another mom who I look up to,  about being a working mom and wife.  I was really feeling the struggle of balance to be the best mom, wife, and employee I could be.  If I felt like I was doing really well at work, I would feel like I was doing terribly as a mom.  Or if I felt like I was doing really well as a mom, and at work, I might feel like I was doing terribly as a wife.  She really encouraged me, reminding me to always seek God's plan and have confidence I am following His plans not others expectations.  As a mom who used to work, but now stays at home, she also told me, the grass is always greener on the other side.  No matter where I am at, I can be praying for God to grow me and strengthen me... in all the various areas of my life.

Loved everywhere he goes.

Is it just in the Christian community that there's a stigma to being a working mom?  Or is that everywhere?  I've looked into mommy type small groups and such at my church, they're all during the day...when I work.  Nothing on weekends, or anything available couple times a month in the evenings.  This isn't the fault of the church, just a trend I see... granted there are also MANY Christian working moms, do they feel the same sense of guilt that I sometimes feel?  People make little side comments to me sometimes when they know I'm a preschool teacher.  "Oh well, I just think it's best if I raise my children instead of a stranger" , "That's too bad those moms work all day instead of raising their own kids", "If they can afford childcare, then they can afford to stay home with their kids", "I just think God designed us to be the caretakers of our families and we aren't supposed to hand that off to someone else"  

  I get what they're saying, I really do sometimes.  But for the most part, this is just ignorant., and more often than not, WAY off base.  Sometimes we have single moms who are the sole providers.  Sometimes we have moms (like myself) who have to work, at least some, to also provide.  Sometimes we have moms, who want the best for their kids, and feel the best way to equip their child for school is to send them for the social, structured, safe environment that we offer.  Anyway about it, I think most moms do what they think is best for their kids/family and there is no one way to do it.

Loves school so much, it motivated her to get potty trained!

I not only love being able to work, but I LOVE my job.   It's not just a job for me, it's the God given opportunity to invest in children's lives, I get to help mold these precious little lives, and help prepare them for the rest of their lives.  It's a pretty weighted responsibility in my mind, with huge rewards.  However, to do this....my child is put in the care of others.   Ironic no?  Yes, we can't really afford for me not to work, yet truth be told, I secretly love the fact that I have to work, because I wouldn't actually want it any other way.   I really have the most ideal situation possible with my working part-time hours four days a week, my oldest child getting to come to work with me and getting the benefits of preschool, and my youngest with two amazing ladies throughout the week.

I've gotten to move past the 'guilty' part, I am confident in what we've chosen, and know that my kids are well loved, taken care of, and are growing in a strong foundation of Christ.

I guess now that I've been encouraged, I also want to encourage other working moms, as well as express how blessed I am that God has given me peace in an area that I didn't have peace before.

Also, any working moms out there want to start a Bible study to meet a couple times a month or something?