Thursday 21 April 2011

A Balancing Act...

*WARNING* The following is basically me having a bitch!

I know I'm not the only writer out there who is trying to juggle a young family with career aspirations, but boy, sometimes it is hard. With the Easter holidays comes no pre-school and so I currently have my four- and one-year old at home with me all day. We also now live out in a village and do not have a car, so daytime activities are pretty much limited to going for a walk.

The problem is that I still need to work. There are deadlines that need to be met and I have to bring in a certain amount of money each month to keep the day job from the door.

Yes, of course I would much rather be at home writing than out doing some job I hate, but it would be nice if some provisions were made to be able to do the work that needs to be done. Currently, I'm up at six a.m., entertain kids until six that evening, get housework done/cook meals/wipe bums, finally get kids down for eight-ish, manage to do a couple of hours of editing, and then I go back to bed.

All I can say is, thank God for cakes/crisps and Nick Jnr! (Bad Mommy!).

Anyone else out there struggling with kids over the holidays? And please, no earth mother/home schoolers may respond (only kidding, I seriously don't know how you guys do it!).

3 comments:

  1. As close as I can get is: I feel your pain. Yes, I'm male and don't get saddled with a lot of your problems. My former wife and I had 7 children, and I did the cooking, laundry, cleaning, and worked two jobs. She was a stay at home mom but not very active doing household things. Anyway, I know where you're coming from and you will never be a bitch in my eyes. Funny that a guy should be the first one to respond to this, huh?

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  2. OMG. Seven children??? That's crazy. I have my hands full with the two of them.
    I'm very impressed that you did all the housework as well as working two jobs. Unfortunately, like you former wife, I also hate housework, though I struggle through it. My computer is always singing to me!

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  3. All I can say is expect it for years and years to come, but it'll get easier to juggle. My kids are 21 and nearly 17 and they still need Mom as much as when they were young.

    My 21 year old will be a Marine in the next year and he'll need Mom more than any other time in his life. So letter writing, sending packages, attending graduations, visits and WORRY will take the place of all the prevalent needs of the past.

    What is so wonderful about being a parent is that no matter the ups and downs to our own wants and needs, it is the most fulfilling thing we could ever do with our own lives. And in the end it's all that matters.

    Oh, and I'm still grateful to this day for Sponge Bob Square Pants, Rugrats and all the wonderful programming that gave me 5 minutes to think outside the kids.

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