A Week in the Life of a Working Mom: Project Manager Mom in Atlanta

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For our third Week in the Life of a Working Mom series, I’m happy to introduce Reader D, who is a 31-year-old project manager in Atlanta with two young kids. Our usual caveat applies: Please remember that this is is a real person who has feelings and isn’t gaining anything from this, unlike your usual friendly (soul-deadened, thick-skinned, cold-hearted, money-grubbing) blogger — so please be kind with any comments. Thank you! – Kat

If you’d like to be featured (anonymously or otherwise), please fill out this form! You can see all posts in this series here.

First, Some Basics about this Working Mom…

Name: D
Lives: Atlanta
Job: Project manager
Age: 31
Home Situation: I live in a large house with my husband (31, marketing), our 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son, and our dog.
Childcare Situation: Daycare/Preschool, $460/week

Last Week in My Life

Sunday

Family woke around 9:00, we had pancakes and played outside until 11:00. We came back in and the kids colored/did puzzles until 12:00. I worked on cleaning the house — laundry, bathrooms, dusting, while my husband made the kids lunch at noon. After lunch (around 1:00), I ran an errand with my daughter while my son slept. We got smoothies afterwards and made it home around 4:00. My husband did yard work while we were gone, periodically checking on my son. At 5:00 we picked up our favorite takeout for dinner and woke up my son (who makes up for bad daycare naps on the weekend) and watched a movie while we ate. We then had bath time (6:45), read a few stories together, sang some songs, and I put my son to bed (7:30). My husband then read a story to my daughter (8:00) while I was back to folding laundry. After my daughter was asleep (8:30), my husband did the dishes and we watched one show before going to bed ourselves.

Monday

6:30 — I wake up and get ready for work, then wake up my daughter around 7:00. She isn’t ready to get up, so I wake up my son. I change his diaper and put on his favorite Mickey shirt. He goes to hug my husband, who is still getting ready. My kids are downstairs ready to go, eating whole wheat waffles by 7:45. We put on shoes and make sure everyone has pottied and teeth are brushed. I do my daughter’s hair and we are in the car headed to school at 8:00. I drop off the kids at daycare and make it to work at 9:15. After a day at work, my husband picks up the kids (5:45) and must have a snack for them in the car. Otherwise, they will lose their shit. I leave work around 5:00 or 5:15 and stop at Whole Foods to pick up dinner on my way. The kids and my husband make it home around 6:15 and the kids don’t want my healthy dinner. They eat leftover pizza. I pick up and eat an old macaron. The babysitter is coming over at 7:00, as my husband and I have a group we attend. The kids go to bed at 7:30 and 8:30 respectively, though my daughter stays up reading until we get home around 9:15. I eat my leftover salad and my husband and I watch a show, then he does dishes and takes out the dog while I am completing my getting ready for bed regimen. We are in bed at 11:00.

We asked D about her kids’ daycare, and she said, in part:

Our new school’s teachers have a tenure of ~10 years on average. They also have all the policies in place that will not allow them to sit my baby in a jumper all day long. Those were my requirements. They also have kids outside 90 minutes a day, which I loved and, as a bonus, they serve all snacks and lunches. That is a life changer. The only thing I don’t LOVE about our current daycare is that as I am driving there I pass 5 other centers, but I know ultimately it is great that I was picky, as my kids don’t despise getting dropped off, love their teachers, and typically don’t want to leave at the end of the day. It makes my work day much more pleasant not worrying about how they are doing.

Tuesday

6:30 — I wake up and get ready for work. I have to change since I have selected a sweater and it will be 80° today. I try to wake up my daughter. No dice. I wake up my son around 7:10. He has monster face, as he has had a massive nosebleed overnight. Perfect. I have a conference call at 8:00, so must get my daughter out the door with my husband by then and get my son happily watching an educational show, as he has his 2-year check up today! I made it on the call by 8:00 and pay attention to what I can. I mute and give my daughter kisses and wave to my husband, taking her to school today. I check on my son eating his waffle. I decide to eat cereal on mute, and my son decides he will eat my cereal too. 8:30 and my call wraps up. Plenty of time to get to the doctor by 8:45 for our 9:00 appointment. I put shoes on my son and wash his hands, as I didn’t do a good enough job earlier and they’re still a little bloody. I look at the clock when he is buckled in his seat. 8:45?! WTF? At least the doctor is only 10 minutes away. Oh wait, traffic. We are late for the appointment. My son has a good checkup, but is very small (always has been, so not a huge concern). Because his BMI had dropped slightly, we need a recheck of his weight in 2-3 months. My son gets his shot, handles it well. Does not handle the hemoglobin test well. He pulled off the bandaid too soon and now he is bleeding all over the doctor’s office and touching everything with his bloody finger. Sorry, doctor! I drop my son off at school, which he is disappointed about. I sneak a peek at my daughter in her class. She has bunny ears on. No one else has any costume on. I love my weirdo. My husband picks the kids up at 5:45. With snacks. I have the kids eat the healthy dinner I picked up yesterday while I get ready for the gym. I leave at 6:45 for my 7:00 class. While I am at class, my husband gets the kids ready and puts them to bed at 7:30 and 8:30 respectively. I get home at 8:15 and kiss my daughter while my husband reads to her. I eat some dinner, shower quickly, then hop on a 9:00 conference call. During this time, my husband does the dishes, then works on a work proposal. At 10:00 I am finished and my husband and I chat for a few minutes. I crochet in bed while he reads. I am not sure when or how he is taking care of the dog, but I am impressed that my husband fits this task in somewhere in these busy days.