Yeg Inspired, Baby Issue

IDENTITY
MOMPRENEUR
BY SHAUNA ROUGHLEY
I’m jerked awake from sleep once again. There is no
slow waking in this house, not anymore. My alarm
clock has barely been used in the last three years. My
days start when my kiddos decide it’s time to rise. Some
days, that’s a glorious sleep in (until 7 am), and some
days, I’m up before the sun.
Most of my days are theirs, so our mornings typically
centre around their moods. If they need to stay in their
pajamas and go play in the sand box first thing in the
morning, that’s what they do; if they need to run and
chase each other and shout at the top of their lungs,
that’s what they do. My coffee constantly goes cold,
I rarely eat my breakfast sitting down, and my plans
revolve around keeping them happy.
Our decision to keep our kids at home with us (only
using occasional child care) has been a choice I will
forever be grateful we made. I love that I get to spend
my days taking my sons on adventures and introducing
them to new experiences. I want to know my boys, and
I want them to remember the time we spend together.
It’s rare that parents can take their kids swimming on a
random Tuesday morning; I feel constantly lucky that
we’re able to.
Trust me, there are days that can’t end soon enough.
Some days, I’m grateful for Netflix and naptime, and
there isn’t enough coffee in the world. Some days, the
endless chatter and questions make my head feel like it’s
going to explode. This parenting gig is never, ever easy,
but most days I try to make it fun.
Most people don’t realize the flip side to trying to run
a business while having your kids at home with you.
My job as a photographer has unconventional hours
in which childcare isn’t available. My parents are my
biggest supporters, and without their help, there is no
way we could do our jobs.
I feel a constant nagging in my head trying to figure
out when to work, balancing the time with my kids and
time away from them, when to book shoots, when to
do the laundry, all the while wondering when the house
is ever going to be clean again. Because with our whole
family home all the time, the messes are endless. Most
days, I choose not to worry about the constant clutter,
the dishes that are always piling up, and the neverending
laundry. The house will be quiet and clean
soon enough, and I know I will miss the bustle. Some
days though, it eats me up and there is a whirlwind of
cleaning. And then it’s messy the very next day.
I’ve considered getting more childcare. I’ve thought
about the need to have more time to work and cultivate
this business, our passion, and the way we pay our
bills. But soon enough the boys won’t want us around
constantly. They will entertain themselves, be off and
busy with their friends, and I will miss these days.
So for now, I’ll put on pots of coffee at 8:00pm to keep
me up for late night work sessions, I’ll guzzle more the
next morning, and I’ll practice my truck sounds and
digging skills.
INSPIRED | 25