I was 10 years old when my teacher asked us to draw a picture of what I wanted to be when I grew up. Many of my classmates wanted to be astronauts, doctors, firefighters and maybe there was a dinosaur here or there, as I had a lot of quirky kids in my class. But I remember hanging my picture in between a veterinarian and a chef. And in the center, my picture read, “I want to be a Mommy.” Big aspirations…I know! But looking back, I don’t think I was far off. In fact, I always found myself drawn to children. In the way they would think and how creative they could be. I couldn’t help myself but interact with children any chance I got. At first it was babysitting, then summer camp and as I approached college, I knew I had to follow my heart and work with children.

In 2014, I graduated from Boston College as a Social Worker with a concentration in child development. From there, I landed my first job at an Early Intervention Center for 3 years working with children, ages 0-3 years old, with development delays. I would work with families in their homes to help their child reach developmental milestones through play. Soon after, I became a Mom, and my whole world changed. Stepping into this new phase of my life was the most beautiful, challenging and shocking experience of my life. No matter how much knowledge of children I had acquired in my past, there was no preparation for when my spirited daughter entered my life. It wasn’t until then that I recognized the real struggles moms go through.