5 Reasons I am Thrilled to Go Back to Work (So Stop Asking If I Will Cry Dropping off Tiny Tornado)

I am going back to work after almost a year of being without a job. This time as a stay at home mom was not by choice but due to lack of employment opportunities in a very rural area. I have worked since I was 15 and was in a professional job for 5 years and loved it. So when we moved I lost a large part of my identity. My job was who I was for much of my week. So staying at home has been extremely hard.

Don't get me wrong. I love Tiny Tornado beyond anything I thought possible and am glad I got to be with her every moment of her first year. Every single moment. I felt I needed to be the perfect wife, housekeeper, mother because that was my job now and I may be a bit of an over-acheiver when it comes to my job. Now that I am going back to my profession I have a list of things I missed about work or won't miss about home.

1: Laundry - I hate laundry with a passion. When I worked, my husband did his laundry and I did mine. Then if it was left in a giant, wrinkled pile I was the only one who had to worry about it. Staying home I took on most of the laundry responsibility. It still sits in a giant, wrinkled pile after it is washed but now I feel incredibly guilty about not getting it folded and put away. This will be reverting back to a split job and I am thrilled about that.

2: Mental stimulation - a 1 year old does not talk. Her biggest interaction is snuggling and handing me all her toys and books. Most nights I lay in bed and try to get my mind to settle down because it has not had any stimulation during the day so at night I can't stop thinking about every thing that I should have done different or better. Now at the end of the day my mind will be tired.

3: 30 minutes of me time - I will have a 30 minute commute each way for my job. I love that time. It is my time to decompress, to put the day at work behind me and get ready to be home with my family. It is time to turn the radio up louder than I can with Tiny Tornado in the car and sing along. I can just relax and breathe during this time and I need that time. I have missed that time because at home I am either cleaning or entertaining.

4: Puppies and Kittens - This might only be 5% of my job but it is the 5% that makes even the worst day amazing. Puppy breath and snuggles make me smile and I have missed them. Kittens are so daring and brave and fearless that just watching them approach a new person makes me squeeze them, gently of course. Those appointments when everything goes right, you get to bond with new families and help them start their pet ownership out is why we do our job.

5: Independence - I have a Tiny Tornado who adores her mom. She adores her dad as well but I am the person that she has come to rely on for everything and this has really shown in the last few weeks. She has not wanted her dad to put her to bed and has screamed at him when he gets her ready. It is time for her to learn that other people can take care of her and that she can do somethings for herself. She needs to learn that Mommy will not always be there to fix everything. She may only be a year old but she is a stubborn, opinionated little girl. I know that having a great babysitter will only help her to grow up to not rely on other people for her happiness.

I know that the first couple of days will be an adjustment for our whole family. I also know that I am a better wife and mother when I am working. I am a happier person when I am fulfilled professionally. This makes me a better person to be around. I will treasure my time at home and will make sure to focus more on my family when I am home. There may be times my job interferes with my outside life but my balance has been restored. For me this is necessary to ensure we survive as a family.