As a mama to three young kids, every day is a reminder of just how much working parents and caregivers carry, and how it can be both beautiful and challenging. Navigating a full-time career while raising a family isn’t easy – but it’s also one of the most meaningful parts of my life.
When I first became a mom and had to return to work less than six weeks postpartum, I truly didn’t think I could do it. Every time I handed my daughter to someone else, it felt like I was giving away a piece of myself.
Since that moment, I’ve experienced nearly every season of being a working parent: working full-time in an office with a nanny, putting my baby in daycare while barely making enough to cover the cost of childcare and insurance, and living far from family with very little support. I’ve debated leaving the workforce entirely, I’ve moved across the country to be closer to family, and I became the primary breadwinner while my husband stayed home with our baby.
I had my second baby the same week the world shut down during the pandemic and returned to work virtually with two children under two. This adjustment back from maternity leave was an entirely different experience, and a year and half later when I was later told I had to return to the office full-time, the thought of leaving my kids again was devastating.
I have navigated a miscarriage that had me questioning whether trying for another baby was worth it (spoiler alert – it definitely was!). I’ve supported my husband through a mental health crisis while balancing work and parenting, doing my best to hold everything and everyone together.
Eventually, I found my way to Xerox, where I now have a full-time, work-from-home role that gives me the flexibility I always dreamed of. Where being a mom has never felt like a hindrance but rather something to be celebrated. I was promoted to a new role 2 weeks before my third baby was born and my leader was incredible through that transition!
My schedule now works around my life – not the other way around. I work shifted working hours to be able to be more present at home with my kids. My littlest love goes to a half-day preschool, and when school’s out, my kids are cared for by grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and two incredible babysitters who live across the street and love them like their own. I get to pick her up during my lunch break, squeeze in big hugs before naptime, and finish my workday just in time to walk to the bus stop and greet my other two kids.
What started as a dream for a community of people who just “got it”. People who could celebrate the parenting wins and heartbreaks, acknowledge the constant background noise of everything going on in my head (and in the room next door – working from home… IYKYK). People who made me feel psychologically safe to bring my whole self to work and feel like I was sitting around with a bunch of friends just doing life together. That dream quickly transformed into CaPE.
CaPE was created because I believe no one should have to choose between being present at home and thriving at work – and more importantly, no one should have to do it alone. Caregiving requires strength, flexibility, and relentless love. It also takes a village, and CaPE is about building that village – one where we uplift, support, and champion each other through the beautiful chaos of caregiving and career.
Post by Lauren Miller
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