Hello my beautiful people.

I hope you’ve been having a fantastically beautiful day. As most of you know I’m a full time working mom of three. Thankfully, I have an amazing family that supports me and is always willing to give a helping hand. I wouldn’t be a successful manager or momager if not for the lord and my family.

With all of that said, today, I had to put my critical thinking managerial hat on in order to “mom manage” my 5 year old. My little guy is NOT a morning person. He doesn’t rise and shine. In fact his rise is more like a slow roll to the ground while whining on the way down. He drags himself to the bathroom all while managing to piss off his siblings in minutes. He takes his morning rain cloud everywhere he goes. Even virtual school. Today, his rain cloud made it’s way to his teacher, his Buela, and eventually me “the momager”.

While getting him ready for his day, I could feel that the day could go south at any moment. So, I made sure to put on my happy face and do nothing but breath positivity into him. He had a few moments, but, all in all it was not a terrible morning. Until, he made the decision to turn south.

Now, here I am at work, on a Monday morning, attempting to encourage my team to face the challenges of the day, while my Apple Watch wont stop buzzing. To no surprise it’s my mom. She writes, “Aaron is having a bad morning, I have spoken to him and the teacher. He just stopped”

. …….JUST STOPPED?! ……He just decided that his school day was going to be over at 9:01. Now, Mind you, I’ve been at work for only 31 minutes at this point. So I ignore it. Then my watch buzzes again “He is totally telling the teacher he is not doing it”

………NOT DOING IT!????……Like, if he’s in charge. At that moment I had a choice to make.

So, I tell my employees “I’ll be right back”. I hop in my truck and off I go. Headed home at 9:15. All I can do is pray. All I can do is ask for self control, and for God to order my steps. Because, in my own flesh I wanted to throw something across the wall!! I get home and my mom lays it all out. Aaron is just staring at me. Fear is painted all over his face. I tell him “go get your shoes and your mask”. I ask my mom for his left over assignments; him and I leave. I take him to the lake and we sit and watch the ducks. This entire time I’m trying not to cry. Trying not to yell, trying not to break, Trying to explain to him why he can’t go to actual school yet, trying to explain that every morning he has to make a choice. But he’s only 5.

So we sit quietly and watch the ducks. He asks me questions about the ducks wings, and if they get cold in the water. I’m able to sneak in a few words about how I love him and want him to listen. I don’t yell. I’m simply trying to figure out how to manage. We get back in the car and I take him to work. While sending a few emails I help him complete his assignments. Once he’s done he wants to leave. BAM! My moment has arrived. “No Aaron, you wanted to sit at your desk and do nothing today. Now, you can have what you wanted. You can sit and do nothing.” Aaron: “But mom I have to finish school” Me: “No, Aaron, you did finish, and now you get to sit.” So, he sat for over an hour. Doing nothing. He got what he wanted.

Then I hear is tummy rumble. “Aaron are you hungry?” He replies “yes mommy” I say “ok baby lunch is in an hour. His eye opened wide!” “But I’m hungry I want to eat now” “Sorry baby, you didn’t want to be in school so now you have to wait”. He was not a happy camper! He sat there pouting and spinning in his new office chair. After a while we get packed up and leave. I go to a local diner and he gets to order whatever he wants. While we sit he gets upset realizing he can’t go to his grandma’s house. I explain to him that everything that’s happening is because he made a choice. He chose not to be cooperative, he chose not to listen, and he chose to give up on his work. He continues to eat his silver dollar pancakes with a sour look on his face. He goes In and out of smiling and pouting like kids do. We then wrap up lunch and head home. We get home and I put him right to bed. While he’s in bed he starts crying and calling out for me. I don’t answer. Then he calls out for Mochi our dog and she barks! He must have realized Mochi was no hello so he evenuallly calmed down and fell asleep.

It’s 1pm and here I am. At home writing to you. I should be at work managing my office. Creating strategies with my bankers on how to engage clients, how to connect with our community and how to help people reach their financial goals. But, I’m not. At this moment I’m at home. I’m where I need to be for right now. At home being a mom while my little guy takes the nap he needs to rest this not so easy morning.

I don’t know how many working mom’s might read this post today but if you are a working mom I’m with you. In prayer and in love. It’s not easy, it’s ok to cry. It’s ok to feel frustrated, it’s ok to make a choice once in awhile. Just make sure that when you do it’s always them. Always choose your kids. Over your meeting, over your employees and over anything else that might get in the way. Your time and prayer with them and for them is what’s going to get their little rain cloud to go away. It’s what’s going to give them the strength to one day make the same choice you made. God and family over everything.

With love,

Mrs_Noso