I'm back into the swing of working for a week and a half and oddly enough, it feels great to be back. Sure I have a lot of guilt when I'm experiencing breif periods of down time, but for the most part it's all good.
I really feel a big part of the success of it all is owed to our great nanny. She should have joined our family about 5 years ago. She is one of those people that sincerely loves kids. Or at least really understands how to interact with them. She treats them with respect and at the same time they already know that she can't be pushed around like their mom. They are happy to see her arrive in the morning and slightly sad to see her leave in the evening (usually I have to devote 100% of my attention to all of them when I arrive home, whether I worked for 2 hours or 8 hours) so they are only slightly distracted with her departure.
She doesn't clean during the day- and if you remember correctly, neither did I. But she does one thing differently that I never seemed to get down, she cleans up as the three of them move from room to room around the house to eat or play.
So at the end of the day I come home to a tidy house and a kitchen ready to cook in since for once the counter top isn't piled high with dishes, play dough, paints and what not. Let's not forget that I can now pop into the grocery store for one item needed to make dinner without bringing three hungry kids along. So in the week and a half, I've managed to start cooking again.
I'll keep you posted as I imagine not all days/weeks are going to go so smoothly, but the end of week one is complete and I'm giving it the thumbs up.
5 comments:
I'm glad that things are working out so well. Working part time is really the best of both worlds. I am so glad to hear that you've had a relatively smooth transition back. I think it suggests to other mothers that taking some time off, a year, a couple of years, a few months, does not have to mean the end of your career or that you'll never find professional work again. It's reassuring to see you getting back in the swing of things. I don't think you'll regret working as much this time because you did make the change to stay at home for awhile, and I think that's an experience that more women, if they are able, should allow themselves to have. Good luck and keep us posted-especially about where you found the great nanny!
It's really good to have someone around to help at home, even when you're a stay-at-home mom. Doing everything by yourself will really wear you out. I started being a stay-at-home mom last year, and no matter how I try to accomplish every single chore at home, there's always something left to be done for tomorrow. Still, the kids need time for talking and interacting. I got myself a help last month. Now I don't only have more time and energy for communication and interaction with them, I also am not too tired to cook them a great dinner every night. Plus, still have time to for self improvement and bonding with my significant other.
I'm so glad to hear it's going well so far! I definitely believe you need that confidence in your childcare provider in order to feel good about working. Hope things continue to go well. Maybe we can have a Nati working mom blog lunch sometime downtown!
Susan at Working Moms Against Guilt
So I will come clean with where I got my new nanny. I found her on Craig's list. I know, I was pretty freaked out with the one that I interviewed a while back that couldn't provide references, but this nanny came with a CD filled with references and photos with her and the kids from her last nanny job. She is from Poland and got here originally though the au pair program. She is now here on a student visa.
Having a working mom lunch sounds like fun! I think Karen wanted to get something together a few years back when she discovered there was a world of bloggers in Cincinnati dealing with similar issues.
Thanks for your comment on getting help as a stay at home mom. I think it's a great thing, but I understand that with only one income, most families can't afford to hire help. But what a luxury- it helps to keep your mind clear and eliminates the feeling of being burdened with too much to do and getting zero time to yourself.
I plan to hire a nanny who is very responsible for everything.
www.caryfencecompany.com
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