From Deadlines to Diaper Changes: Confessions of a Former Mommy Snob

I had a baby I would do anything I could to avoid putting them in daycare.

She looked me straight in the eye said, "Well, if I didn't work we wouldn't be able to pay our mortgage."

I had no idea how smug my statement must have sounded and the mother I am today cringes for my naivety and snobbishness. I had no idea how difficult it is to find both employment and child care that fit snugly into the parenting utopia I had fashioned in my mind, with no hiccups or bumps along the way. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to have an employer that allowed me to work from home after my second daughter was born and I returned to the office when she was 11 months old with a more flexible four-day work week.

These days, I am no longer quick to judge others for their parenting choices. And I realize that the one thing I can count on about parenting is the unpredictability. You can also plan on me being 1o minutes late to every appointment I make. I quit wearing a wrist watch a few years ago and for the most part I have made an effort to not let my blood pressure soar on workday mornings when my girls dawdle and it takes 10 minutes to get them to put on their socks. They are only little once and work deadlines will still be looming over my head when I arrive at the office. So see you later mommy snob. You've been banished along with "I'll Never Wear Holiday Theme Cardigan Sweaters to My Kids' School Parties Snob" and "I'll Only Let My Children Watch PBS Snob."