Mama Monday: Barbara from Footprints in the Sand

I am beyond excited to share one of my favorite people on the internet with you today. 
Barbara, from Footprints in the Sand, is just about the sweetest woman on the planet and she lives in France. Where there are macarons. Enough said?

She is mama to 2 beautiful boys, Nathan and Noah. Barbara shares stories of their adventures abroad with a healthy dose of humor and fun photos. While most of us are visiting playgrounds, she's enjoying the south of France. Le sigh. 

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Do you work outside the home or are you a stay at home mom? What led you to either decision?

I work outside the home. My husband and I are both expatriated in France with our jobs so I didn't really have the option of "staying home". We have been blessed to work for an amazing company that provides daycare facilities so that our children are only a hop,skip and a jump from our office. I was also very fortunate to give birth in a country that has such great maternity leave. I was able to stay home with my boys for over four months before finally returning to work.

Did you always see yourself as stay at home mom/career woman? Was it a dream of yours?

I always imagined being one of those women that could do it all - great career, perfect marriage and well adjusted children. This was obviously before kids and before I realized how little time there is in a day and how hard being a mother actually is. There are days when I definitely don't have it all together. I still love my job and my career and I think that having a rewarding outlet helps me be a better mother to my children.

 3. What frustrates you most? What would you change if you could?

I would love to have more time with my boys. They are at an age when they are changing so much every day and sometimes I feel like I miss out on the most important aspects of their lives. By the time we get home in the evenings there is very little time to eat dinner/take baths/read bedtime stories - and before I realize it the night is over and I feel like I didn't spend any time with the boys at all. There are also those days when the boys are sick and my husband and I have to have "the discussion" about who stays home with them. I wish it were easier for me to just be there for them when they needed.

 If you are at home, do you plan to return to work one day? 

I'm going to turn this question around into would I ever stay home if I got the chance - and the answer would be no. While I miss my boys terribly while I'm at work, I see how much my boys have flourished there. Living in a different country - they have mastered the local language thanks to the daycare and my oldest is completely bilingual at just 3 years old. They also have made such great friends and I see their minds challenged daily. I don't know if I could have ever done this for my boys had I stayed at home with them.

 Any words of advice for mama's who are struggling with this decision?

There is no right or wrong. At the end of the day you have to follow your heart and do what is best your family.

The decision to work outside the home or stay home with your children is such a personal one. There is no right answer or right decision but rather, I truly feel each woman must do what is right for her and her family.

I commend each and every mother out there for this. It is not easy.

We are women and man, we're amazing.

Barbara, thanks so much for sharing your space and your thoughts with other mama's today. Know that I will make it to Paris one day. I will be the one camped outside Laduree.