A woman recently wrote about her fear of having to give up her passions once she has a child, or at least not being able to give them the same amount of effort and attention as before.
My response to that is, of course you don’t have to give up your passion, but naturally your focus will change towards wanting the absolute best for your child. In the process, your passions might change, or you might have a different way of viewing them. You can’t understand or comprehend this feeling until you hold your very own baby in your arms.
Career
Before I had my son, Turner, I wanted to be the Chief Marketing Officer of a huge company. I wanted to wear the expensive J.Crew business suits, and travel the world. I had my son and that all changed. The minute he was born I wanted to stay home full-time, but due to my family’s desires to pay off our student loan debt and save for our first home, I went back to work. The thought of leaving my little man killed me, but it was something I had to do for his future. I know many moms put their careers on hold, or make the tough decision to stop pursuing a career all together to stay at home with their children. I now know I like a mix of both. If the opportunity arose, I would love to work part time. I enjoy dressing up, socializing with co-workers and using my skill sets in business.
Friends
I was the first of many of my friends to have a baby, so it has been a struggle to hang out with them like the old days. Before my son, we’d shoot each other a text and in 10 minutes, I’d be there. Most plans weren’t made till the night of. My get-togethers with friends are much more scheduled these days. I have to be very proactive about making plans, because if not I could go months without seeing them. Recently, my two best friends and I scheduled a girl’s weekend. We set the date almost 2 months ahead of time. Let’s just say I gave up spontaneity when I became a mom.
Shopping
I wouldn’t say I gave this up because I had to, but more because I wanted to. I used to shop all the time for myself, I mean, my husband buys his clothes from Costco, so I really had no one else to shop for. After Turner was born, I would easily sacrifice a cute top for myself for a to die for onesie for him. Don’t get me wrong, I still shop for myself but much less after becoming a mom.
Fun Money
Fun money is basically the extra money Alex I have during the pay period to blow on food, entertainment, clothing, etc. Fun money now goes to pay Turner’s pre-school bill. Geez….how much more expensive can Austin child care get?
Sleep
Last but not least, the biggest thing I’ve given up since becoming a mom….SLEEP. Oh the joys of sleeping in. Do you remember what that feels like moms? Thank the Lord for grandparents who give parents a break every once in a while.
With all this being said, I don’t regret giving up any of these things to be a mom. The best thing that ever happened to me was becoming a mom. Humbling to say the least, and so worth the sacrifice.
What have you given up since you’ve become a Mom?
