by BabyCenter Guest Blogger posted in Parenting

By Jamie Lincow
As a school teacher with back-to-school season swiftly approaching, my glimpse into the life of a stay-at-home-mom ebbs away. What I love most about summer is the ability to recharge my batteries. But I also love being available to tend to my kids? needs at a moment?s notice without having to find coverage at work.
When my middle son had a stomachache the other day at camp, I dropped everything and picked him up within 15 minutes. He was so appreciative and even asked how I was able to get there so quickly. I could never get there in 15 minutes during a workday.
Once we return to work after any type of break, working mothers are always trying to find a balance between the wish to stay home and care for our kids, and the personal longing to succeed in our own individual careers. After I went back to work for the first time as a fledgling mother, I worried about being disconnected from my child. Maybe too much. That intense need for an emotional connection is a leftover from my own childhood. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, or Domestic Engineer in her words, and she was always available to come to every assembly and activity, drop off forgotten homework or lunch, or pick me up if I felt sick. Having my mom on-call gave me a sense of security while growing up -- like there was a safety net to catch me and support me when I was out of the house.
Fast-forward 25 years and now I'm a mom of three young boys. But I...