Mommy Guilt

The other day I was driving my two daughters with me to Cubes & Crayons (www.cubesandcrayons.com), when my older one, a proud 2 1/2 year old, said to me "I love Cubes & Crayons." My heart melted. I built this endeavor, flexible office space in tandem with childcare, with parents like me in mind, but also for my children. While my daughter has been able to spout that the "cubes are for mommies and daddies and the crayons are for the kids," for months now, it has been a tough transition for everyone. Being a mom is the most important thing to me. I adore my daughters and had no idea how motherhood would change my life and perspective. At the same time, it is just as important to me that my girls grow up seeing women as professional, intelligent, and successful individuals who do more than just wipe noses and give hugs.
With our recent launch, my little girls have been dragged all over the place with mommy as well as away from mommy more than ever before. The mommy guilt has been building up in me. With recent press, each little success, and positive feedback, I have been reveling in the joys of launching a company all while missing my daughters and feeling culpable of being negligent to their needs and wants. It has been through others reminding me that this launch is a blip in their lives and that we all have to make choices that I have soothed my conscience. The focus on the big, long term picture in terms of both my career/personal goals as well as my goals for my children and my desire to be a great role model to them helps me a little in dealing with the long hours at night, time away from my family, etc. Still, none of it means anything in comparison to having my daughter tell me that she loves Cubes & Crayons. "I built this for you," I tell her. "For you and your sister, and knowing you love it makes everything okay."
Thank goodness for little girls who can make mommy feel better with just a simple sentence.