Being a working mom is hard. You constantly have to balance work and personal life in a way that doesn't exclude anything, but also doesn't wear you out. Moms are expected to put their kids first and when they don't, they're somehow seen as bad parents.
I know that when I went back to work after having my daughter, I was wracked with guilt. I knew that sending her to daycare was the best option, and I also knew that I wanted to go back to work, but there was a part of me that wanted to drop everything around me and spend time with her.
This isn't just me, either. Working moms are constantly faced with the pressures of being a good mother and a good employee, and what comes from that is a huge amount of guilt. Even celebrities deal with this struggle, despite us thinking they have it all figured out.
Drew Barrymore, who has been in Hollywood basically since she could talk, got candid about being a working mom to two young girls. Barrymore says that her daughters, Frankie, 4 and Olive, 5, know they have a working mom and that she explains to them often that it's not a bad thing.
"I always explain to her that I love my job. I don't say, "˜I have to go work' with a grimace on my face, because I fear it will make her feel negative about something a lot of moms must do to provide," she said. "My friend once said, "˜Never make your child feel like work is the bad thing taking you away from them' and I realized a lot of us tend to do that to try to make our kids feel better and that work is the yucky thing taking us away."
Barrymore noted that there a few ways she keeps in touch with her kids while she's away, but talking to them is not one of them.
In Barrymore's post, she shows a picture of her daughter Olive marking the days on a calendar. This way, she can see that her mom is coming back, and she can physically see when that will be.
"I wanted to give her a tool, so she could understand and [gauge] life when I am working. Like a handmade calendar," said the actress. "And watching my daughter follow through with [it] as an exercise is so rewarding. And calming to my concerns about teaching her to grasp life."
And just like any other mom, the Never Been Kissed star admitted to feeling guilty.
"I feel guilty as hell for being away (and what mother doesn't?!) but I try a way to empower me and my kids into something more positive," she revealed. "I don't blame work, I own the responsibility. I will be patient when she is upset if I am away."
For most parents, the easiest way to keep in touch with your kids while you're away is through technology. Social media, texting, and video calls have made staying in constant connection so much easier. However, Barrymore said that's not the case with her daughter.
"I tried a few methods at first ... and if you ever want to correspond with Olive, don't FaceTime with her. I learned that the hard way," says Barrymore.
"Don't FaceTime with her. I learned that the hard way," Barrymore revealed. "My FaceTime would come out of nowhere into her world, and it would be so disruptive. Neither of us felt good after. But she's young and that will change when she gets older. And I am old school. So I figured globes and postcards and calendars are what works for us for now."
While most people would think that FaceTime is a perfect means of communication, it's interesting that Barrymore would say it doesn't work for her. I found that FaceTime actually made things better for my niece and I, because she could see me face-to-face instead of just hearing my voice. But to each their own, I guess!!
What do you think of Drew Barrymore's strategy?
