Nanny envy

I am envious of our nanny.  Not for the obvious reasons; of course she is adorable, and sweet, and my son asks for her every day, even on the weekends.  No, for that I am grateful.  It's the part where she gets to teach him, and hold him, and play with him for more hours in the day than I do.

This is where I start to feel like a spoiled brat.  I have a job that I really like, in an industry I love, with a good paycheck and great friends.  I get to work from home, and T is always close by, unless I'm traveling.  There are plenty of moms (and dads) out there who have to find child care that is close to work or home and affordable, and may not be their first choice.  I'm extremely fortunate to be able to support a household and pay an employee to watch my son where he's in earshot.  And sometimes, bring him on business trips with me.

The payoffs for having him close by are irreplaceable:  I can hear him learning how to count, and his ABCs, and laughing as he and Brittney play "chase" all over the house.  "Chase" is T's favorite word, by the way.  This is why we hired a young and enthusiastic nanny...

My friends who are SAHMs (Stay-at-home-moms) have guilt as well, for different reasons.  They might feel guilty when they turn on a TV show just so they can have 30 minutes of peace, or to make dinner.  They might feel guilty that they are not bringing in a paycheck.  Being a SAHM or a working-outside-the-home mom is a complex tangle of emotions, all of them combining to make an incredible life experience.

And so every night, when T and I say our prayers before bed, we pray for each person in our family (including his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins), my Goddaughter and her family, and for Brittney.  Because we're thankful for her too.