Mommy Duty …
We are a family of 4, my husband, myself, a kindergartener and a first-grader. We have no extended family in town and a full-time job for the husband and a “flexible” work from home job for me. Which leaves all the dropping off and picking up from school and teacher meetings and school activities plus doctor appointments and miscellaneous to the “flexible” one, a.k.a. me.
Don’t get me wrong, I love being able to pick them up and be the first one asking how their day was and helping with homework. It feels good to be able to do so, although at times, is a crazy game of juggling schedules and deadlines, and I feel like I am failing at both. Sometimes if I wait until I am done with work, it would be too late for homework.
“Someone needs a snack or help to finish the urgent project of a LEGO car or wants company while pooping …”
Working from home also means a million interruptions while you are trying to accomplish a task. You know, someone needs a snack or someone needs help to finish the urgent project of a LEGO car, or wants company while pooping (…the usual). There is also that part of you that really wants to sit on the couch with them and watch their show with them while snuggling.
Now that the school year has started, we are getting all of these sign-up sheets for different activities after school. I am not going to lie, some sound like a lot of fun. From sports to art to scouts to dancing and swimming lessons. There is something for everyone really, and I think that keeping the kids engaged in activities after school is a great way to keep them away from brain-numbing technology.
When I was a kid I used to walk to my swimming class (I was 10 years old), I used to take the bus to my English lessons, and whatever I was pursuing had to be something I could do on my own because both my parents worked full time. I understand that back then things were “different.” Kids could walk a few blocks without adult supervision, and no one batted an eye.
Not like it used to be…
Now, our reality is different. If I want my kids to go to a dance class, I will have to drop everything I am doing and sit to wait till they are done. If one of them decides for one activity, the other should have his/her choice as well, which makes two different days and hours to take out of my already interrupted day. Also, the kid not attending the activity should be sitting (ha! Good luck with that) waiting with me.
Would I like to be able to send them to a couple of activities after school? Sure!!
Do I have the time? Nope. I sometimes shouldn’t even be leaving my house to sit in carpool at all!!
Do my kids want to? One of them wants to do like 3 different things (not sure about her commitment though) while the other is a homebody that wants to chill with his toys to decompress (can’t blame him).
I am sure we will get there … eventually
They are young still, and to be honest, just a single school meeting in the afternoon throws us all off for the rest of the week with homework and later dinner time. I can’t imagine doing a lot more than we are now, and we are not really doing much other than coming home from school to chill, play, do homework and eat dinner. I really don’t see how I can add to their schedule without feeling like I am pushing too much.
I am always listening to them and what they want. I know we will be part of that world in the near future, and I will try to embrace it then. But for now, this momma can’t handle much more running around and neglecting my job to see if my 5-year-old feels like dancing today… (another battle that I am not sure I want to add to my day).