On my web site, www.ParenTeam.com, I talk about how great it is that our children see us working moms out there making positive contributions to society, to our families, etc., through our work. But sometimes, every once in a while, all of the working-mom-power cheerleading flies by the wayside. Sometime, I just don't feel like working.

For me, the working mom blues typically strike at the beginning of summer. I usually start out by wishing for a brief moment that I was a teacher so I could have summers off. But then I realize I'm not cut out to spend many hours each day supervising and teaching thirty children. My two at home are enough for me ... Then I start feeling sorry for myself and rearranging my life in my head ... move to a cheaper house ... work less hours ... send the SAHD back to the office so I can stay home ...

Make no mistake: It's not easy being a working mom. The fact is that we miss out on a lot of our children's daily activities, we don't see them as often as we'd probably like to, and at the end of the day, we're tired. It seems like everyone wants something from us ... our children want time with us, our husbands want attention, our mail and bills need paying ... our mothers complain that we haven't called them in five hours ... the neighbor needs to borrow an egg ... it never ends.

As you might tell, while I'm writing this I have a small case of the working mom blues. My children's summer plans are finalized and my husband the SAHD said to me last night: "Wow, what a fantastic summer we're going to have!" It makes me feel good to know that they'll have a fantastic summer. But I'll be working.

Am I being selfish? Perhaps. Who knows ... But luckily, however, the working mom blues don't last long. And fortunately, they only happen a few times a year. Sometimes all you need is a good weekend to drive them away.

If you're having trouble with working mom blues, sometimes the best remedy, after you've gone through the "feeling sorry for yourself" phase, is to count your blessings. It's a good way to put things back into perspective so you can move forward and get on with your life as you've designed it.

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