Is the Grass Greener?

I am stay at home which you already know. But I have been planning my return to the working world. It was hard for me to stay at home. I lost a bit of myself. It took me quite a few years to stop telling people I was a career counselor but rather a stay at home mom. Now don't get me wrong, I love being here for my kids. I like that despite the fact that I have become quite scatterbrained that I am on top of all my kids stuff because I have so much time at home I eventually remember what I would have forgotten if I was working as well. I had lunch with a friend yesterday who works and would rather stay home. She talks about raising children as though it's some kind of divine quest that you should feel lucky to have been invited to do. She felt horrible for missing her daughter's field trip to the zoo. She was surprised to find that I haven't volunteered in my son's classroom all year. My sister is currently interviewing to return to the workforce. She was sad while in line at Target when she saw other moms buying pacifiers and toddler snacks, feeling that returning to work was marking then end of her motherhood in some way. I am excited to return to work, I feel like I have more things to do. I feel like I've done the "stay at home" thing and now it's time for the next phase. Maybe it's just me. I'm not terribly sentimental person. I don't save a lot of my children's stuff for when they are older. I think about buying clothes that don't include jeans and sweats. I'm hoping by not being in the house everyday all day I might stop eating my way through the day and maybe lose some weight. It amazes me how conflicted we all are by this. I've noticed some of my working friends feel so guilty that they indulge every single whim and thought of their children to try and make up for their absence. People need to relax. Overall our kids are all going to be fine. Some of us will be at home, some of us will be working. It's not that big of a deal. Kids know if they are loved and thats all that matters isn't it?