Today I have great news to share…. If you have been following my blog you know that I am often frustrated that my husband will not let me give up my career so that I can stay home with my kids. This is something I want so much. Part of it is because I just don’t spend enough time with my kids, I am exhausted all the time from cleaning, cooking, raising kids, being the taxi driver, getting no sleep because of the baby and being away from home 50 hours a week for work.
Wednesday, Thomas became ill again. Once again I have missed another day of work because once again my husband can’t stay home so it falls on me. He expects me to work, but to also pick up all parenting duties. This is BS…Frustrated and ready to snap I had a meltdown.
I looked at my calendar and in the past three months I have worked one full week and all the rest I have been out a day here or their for various reasons. Now this year has been exceptionally bad for funerals in my family. I had one cousin die in a motorcycle accident and the other died of bone cancer. Both of them were in their 30’s. Tragic!
I feel so bad every time I leave early, call in sick or what not and I have just had it. When I am deathly ill I drag my a@# in to work because of all the other days I end up missing. Now when I am sick I end up working and going home and taking care of my kids. I just don’t get to rest like I should when I am sick. It Sucks!
Anyway, back to the whole meltdown and work thing. The next day when I returned to work I sat down with my boss. Let me just say I work for the best employer on the planet. I was upset because once again I have missed a day of work. He points out to me that I don’t need to worry about it and it happens. They never say anything and it just drives me crazy. Not that I want to get in trouble but it just doesn’t seem right.
I am so frustrated over all this so I ask if it is possible to reduce my hours to 32 per week. I am stressed, managing way too much and I just need to cut back on something. To my amazement they said yes. I was so thrilled.
First I am thrilled because I will now have 10 (8 work hours and 2 lunch hours) additional hours a week with my kids. Time I can play with them or do something else that needs done. Heck I might even find a little time for me.
Second I am thrilled because I can change my schedule so that I can cut out the over priced daycare that my son goes to each day after he gets out of kindergarten. (I will blog on this later, come back for this one because it will be good)
Third my husband isn’t happy about the pay cut but I am keeping my career as he insists and still taking back some of my time. So I don’t care how he feels about this change. I am taking it!
What would you do if you had ten additional hours a week that are now yours to do with as you wish? (sleep, play, drink your self stupid, I want to know)
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September 26, 2008
Taking Back 10 Hours of My Life, One Week at a Time
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About Me
- Nina
- Hi I am Nina! OK Nina is a nickname but I doubt you really care. I am 35 years old, married, two wonderful boys. Luke is my sweet gentile 6 year old and Thomas is my wild and crazy 2 year old. The two of them wear me out but I love everything about them. I hope you enjoy all our crazy adventures as much as we do.
11 Comments Welcome:
yea...I am soooo excited for you!! I know this is going to help you so much...I was always sooo stressed out when I had to work full time and then come home to all the house work, homework, and try to spend time with my kids before bed...Your life is going to be allot less stressful..and see the thing your hubby has not thought of..you will be allot less stressed, which means allot happier..which means...he will be allot happier! And that is saying allot...lol.. :)I am so thrilled for you!
Oh that's so awesome you have so many spare hours with your family! :D
I just popped on here for a suggestion on the biting. Anna only bit me twice, and this might sound controversial to some, but the very first time Anna bit me, she was six months old and had a new tooth. I rapped her on the head with three fingers (not enough to hurt her, but more to startle her), then took the boob away. She instantly detached, looked at me like, "What in the world did you just do to me?" Then wailed. I did that the second time as well, and after that she never did it again. I suppose you don't have to rap him, but you could take the boob away and tell him firmly, "No. Do not bite Mommy!" and he may react similarly. I think I also told her, "No".
I read that suggestion somewhere and it worked like wonders for me. Hope it works for you.
I am so happy about the 10 extra hours! I think you will be amazed at how much stress will be alleviated by eliminating just that time!
COngrats!! I would LOVE to do that as well!
I would spend more time with my daughter- cherishing her smiles and teaching her things. Making sure that she grew up knowing that I loved every minute I spend with her.
Oh yeah, and I'd love to have more time to exercise and scrapbook!!
That's great! It's such a struggle trying to balance everything. I only work part-time and can't imagine full time right now, although the money would be much appreciated. You deserve this time for yourself and your children. They grow up so fast. I don't know what I'd do with an extra 10 hours a week, but I do know I'd appreciate them!
That is such wonderful news! Having a few extra hours is a great start towards getting back on top of things.
I'm not sure what I'd do with 10 extra hours. I think initially, I'd just take things really easy and see what came up. I certainly wouldn't commit them to more work/caring for others!
I'm so pleased that you were able to negotiate more do-able hours. 50 hours a week AND raising a family? I'd be dead by now!! LOL! As for the extra hours...I'd probably join a gym or something.
Good for you on getting back that 10 hours!!! If your husband is upset about the cut in income, just point out how much you're saving in daycare costs, gas costs from not commuting 1 day a week, etc, etc.
I honestly don't know how working moms juggle it all. I'm a SAHM and I'm in awe of those of you who work outside the home and still manage to keep it all together.
If I had an extra 10 hours a week, I'd like to break it up and spend one-on-one quality time with each of my kids. I feel bad that they never really get any individual time with us. I always feel guilty about that. They are always together or, at the very least, in pairs...never one-on-one. Hmmm, you've inspired me to try and change our schedule to allow for this.
What a struggle to juggle work and family... I work from home and find it extremely challenging. What do you do with the extra time? Enjoy it with your kids, of course, and save some time for yourself too!
What a struggle to juggle work and family... I work from home and find it extremely challenging. What do you do with the extra time? Enjoy it with your kids, of course, and save some time for yourself too!
Hi there. I just stopped by to say thank you for stopping by my blog. I'll be back :)
That's hard that you want more time at home with your kids, but your hubby doesn't see it that way. I'm glad that you've worked out a way to at least cut back a bit. You won't know what to do with all the extra time for a couple of weeks! All I hear from moms whose kids have grown up (both who worked at home or out of the home) is that they wished they had spent more time with the kids. I've never heard anyone say they wished they had worked more on their career.
In your profile, it says that your husband doesn't want you to waste your university training. I also have a degree, and I can't believe how much of the "training" I received that I can apply to mothering. Not necessarily the "facts" that I learned, but the ability to critically evaluate information, to manage my time, to find resources... the list goes on. For me, I definitely use my education every day whether at work or at home with my kids.
Enjoy the extra time with your kids. (And the fact that you used the extra time to reduce the expensive daycare shows how much you already are putting your family first! Smart lady :)
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