Working Mom Confessions: Corritta Lewis

My name is Corritta Lewis, and I am the happy mother of a very energetic, joyful, and sweet 2-year-old boy. He’s truly my heart in the form of a small person; it’s indescribable. Along with being a happy mama, I work full-time as a Human Resource Analyst. Plus I run our family travel blog along with various other websites.

It’s a Family Thing

I am the founder and creator behind It’s a Family Thing. A family travel blog about our travel journey with a toddler. The idea came to us after deciding to sell everything to travel the world as a family when our son was just 14-months-old. As you could imagine, my hands are full. Being a mother, full-time employee, content creator, and traveler is a lot to juggle.

Time management is critical. But it’s something that I struggle with, especially since my job is in a different time zone. There are nights where I miss our bedtime routine because I have a late meeting or need to send a quick email. Some days the guilt is overwhelming. Working remotely means I am home with our son, but I’m unable to be present, which is hurtful.

It’s even more difficult because there is always something that needs to work with our blog. I need to write content, fix a broken link, update content, upload pictures, answer emails, or write a collaboration post. There is always more work to be done, which makes it difficult to juggle being a mother, employee, and business owner.

Now that he is at an age where he is mimicks me, he tries to copy me by sitting at the table on my laptop typing. Although I know he is doing it because that is what he sees me do throughout the day, it is heartbreaking. It makes me wonder, is he trying to tell me something he can’t communicate? Am I working too much? Do I need to spend more time with him? Should I put off work until he goes to bed? There are so many questions going through my mind, just from that one act.

I had to learn to give myself a break.

There was no need to beat myself up for trying to give our son the best life possible. I finally realized that it’s okay to struggle sometimes. There is nothing wrong with feeling overwhelmed and asking for help, which is what I finally decided to do. We enrolled our son in preschool for the first time, which was an adjustment, but it was necessary for him and me. This allowed him to socialize with other kids, which he hadn’t done before, while I had time to work without interruptions.

The six hours he spends at school allow me to focus on work. When he comes home, I can dedicate my time and attention to him. Permitting myself to no longer feel guilty for needing time reduced my anxiety. It helped us have a better connection because I was no longer afraid of making mistakes. We can enjoy the time to have with one another, without interruptions because I chose to cut myself a break.

If I learned anything since becoming a mother, it’s that I am going to make mistakes, and that’s okay. As parents, we do everything we can for our kids with the best intentions, and that’s what truly matters.

The motivation behind It’s a Family Thing was to step away from the daily grind of life and truly enjoy the precious moments we have with our kids. Now I’ve found a balance between providing for our family while still being present to enjoy the beautiful moments. Being a parent is the most difficult job anyone can have, but it’s the most rewarding. Nothing makes your heart smile harder than seeing your kids happy, but within that, never forget your own happiness.