How a free Home Depot craft workshop helped me let go of my ‘working mom guilt’

As a working mom, I can’t pause the deadlines—but I can choose to focus on meaningful moments. That’s, after all, what my son will remember most.

My heart sank the other night. As our 7-year-old drifted toward sleep, he asked if my husband and I were off the next day.

“We’re not, but Mommy will be home with you,” Kody said.

“But all she does is work, lunch, and laundry,” Colton replied with a yawn.

Talk about feeling a lump in your throat. But what could I say? By and large, he was right. 

My husband tried to save it, talking about some of the fun things we do together. But in the back of my mind, all I could think about was the week prior, when I pulled out a marker and a white T-shirt and told Colton we were going to do a craft. 

His eyes lit up, and the words tumbled out: “We haven’t made a craft together in years!”

While the timeline might’ve been off, his sentiment was accurate—we used to do a craft or go somewhere fun together once a week, just us. Then, responsibilities shifted and schedules changed. Little by little, the quality time we looked forward to spending together silently slipped away. 

That night, I went online and found a free workshop for us to attend. We left bright and early to head to our local Home Depot, where we worked on an excavator toy kit. From start to finish, we laid out the pieces, hammered the nails, painted the wood, and had a grand ol’ time. 

I looked around at the dozens of little families enjoying the Saturday morning craft. Sure, folks were taking some pictures and snippets of videos—I was, too—but not a single person was glued to their phones or paying attention to anything other than spending time together. 

Side note: If that strikes a nerve, it’s not just a you or me problem. Researchers recently found that a whopping 54% of 6,000 kids surveyed felt their parents checked their phones too often. Now, back to the story.

Colton talked about that excavator for the rest of the day, proudly showing it off to his daddy when we got home. And, boy, let me tell you, I felt like I’d won an award for World’s Best Mom. 

But, of course, come Monday, I was back at work—and back to doing laundry and making lunch and tag teaming with my husband for all the other things it takes to make a household function.

Granted, I like my job and enjoy making a paycheck. So going off-grid to wear long dresses and spin alpaca wool probably isn’t a viable option for me right now. But just because that “simple life” isn’t in the cards for this season, that doesn’t mean I can’t be a little more intentional with my time. Besides, making the grand excavator he talked about all day? That took less than an hour—and there are 168 of those in a week.

As a working mom, it’s not about having endless hours together; it’s about being more present in the ones we do have. This holiday season, carving out even a few you-and-me moments can turn ordinary days into memories that last a lifetime. You should’ve seen Colton’s face when I offered to make Christmas cookies with him—weeks before Thanksgiving. 

Batter flew, the kitchen looked like a snowstorm hit it, and the cookies came out lopsided and half-crispy. But he declared them perfectly tasty anyway.

As I stood there watching my little boy lick frosting off his fingers, I realized something: Someday, he won’t remember whether the laundry got folded on time or if I answered that last email. But maybe—just maybe—he’ll remember the smell of sugar cookies in November, the sound of laughter echoing through the kitchen, and the way his mama finally stopped to play. 

So do I have all the time in the world? No. What I do have is the power to change my mindset from “not enough” to “just enough”—even if I’m not “off” the next day. 

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