The "Teacher Mom"

Dearest Teacher-Moms,

It’s okay. It’s okay that you work. You’re making money to support your family, and you’re teaching children important skills. It’s okay that sometimes you resent your students because you spend more time with them than your own baby. It’s alright that you sometimes see a student that looks like your own child and you want to dissolve into a puddle of tears. It’s totally okay that you carry your iPhone around just in case your child care provider needs you. You have a thousand baby pictures on the bulletin board? Me too.

It’s okay that you aren’t college-skinny anymore. It’s okay that putting makeup on feels like a chore, and blow drying your hair is so annoying you just want to shave your head. It’s totally okay that you are wearing maternity pants to avoid the muffin top. Nobody will notice that your top has a smudge of spit up. Is alright that you donated all of your pre pregnancy clothes to charity because seeing them makes you want to cry and eat an entire cake. You look good, trust me. You are a mother now. Think of that chubby little baby grinning at you. Smile.

Guess what? It’s okay that you didn’t really write lesson plans this week. Nobody needs to know that they are last weeks’ lesson plans with this weeks’ date. You’re doing a writing activity that isn’t aligned to the Common Core? I won’t tell. You get to school at your contracted time and leave at the contracted time? It’s cool. Teachers who know what they’re doing can multi task and you’re a rock star at that. You know that snotty teacher whose classroom looks like Pinterest exploded? You know how she rolls her eyes when you miss a day for a sick baby, and thinks you should stay until six every night? She’s a snob, and her perfection must be exhausting. Smile at her and go about your business.

Don’t worry about cleaning and chores at home. It’s totally okay that you have re-washed the same load twice because you forgot to put it in the dryer. It’s really fine with me that your baby’s clothes aren’t color coded and arranged by size. Nobody needs to know that sometimes you just take the clean bottles out of the dishwasher, and run it again. It’s cool that your attempt at a gallery wall is only half finished and has been that way for three months.

I won’t tell the world that you let your baby stay up later just because you want extra snuggles. It’s okay if you think the cry it out method is hateful and mean. I like to comfort and snuggle my baby too. Don’t worry about the toy disaster downstairs. It was fun playing with them, wasn’t it?

Listen friends, you’re okay. Your baby has a professional mommy who is working to make a wonderful life for him or her! Your baby is well fed, dressed in clean clothes, has lots of toys, and knows that you love him. Your baby knows that you always come home to him. You are the world to that chunky little bundle of love. Put Sesame Street on for the baby, put your feet up, and enjoy a little glass of 4.99 Chardonnay. Don’t be so hard on your baby’s mommy.

Love,
Gretchen