Frustrations Of The Working Mum

[deeee]

Hello all

I have a one year old son and a fantastic job but no time to enjoy either of them!
Everyday I am in search of that "balance" everybody's talking about and yet I end up so frustrated that I didn't achieve any of my goals for the day. Weekends seem to be harder than the rest of the week because of all the house work and social duties that was delayed from the previous week because of work. I can't help but wonder how long could my life go with this kind of stress...

Now I think if we could share our "frustration" stories of the everyday, maybe then we could find some sort of advice in each other.

The thing that stresses me the most these days is my "vacations balance"! We're now towards the end of the year and I have no vacation days left. In fact I took more days than I am allowed. I looked through my calendar and examined: all the days off that I took were to take care of DS because he was sick! Maybe just 2 or 3 days for myself. in one WHOLE year. This is so unbearable. I am at a place where I need to take an extra week off like everybody else... But as a "working mum" it seems I am not entitled to one as I finished off my vacation days.

Am I alone here?

 

[LDC]

I too found things difficult; I found that I was working long hours during the week and by the time I came home I was so tried that I just wished it were 7.30 for my daughter to go to bed so I could rest! Then the weekends were spent cleaning, shopping and doing the things that needed doing because I didn't have the time or the energy in the week.

One of the things I did to help was start online food shopping and also buying a slow cooker so dinner was already ready by the time I got home.

Best thing I did? Went part time. I love it, I do three days a week now and have the rest of my time to spend with my daughter. I was panicking so much about money, I was in a good job and good pay and ended up dropping around 11k a year but I actually now couldn't give a stuff about the money. I've only been part time three months but the change in myself is extremely noticeable - I'm not snappy, stressed and appreciate my daughter more. I look at her and she's three years old; I have no idea where that time went and I have less than 2 years until she will be at school. It's crazy.

Good luck, I hope some other mummies give their advice on how they manage! Xx

 

[deeee]

I too found things difficult; I found that I was working long hours during the week and by the time I came home I was so tried that I just wished it were 7.30 for my daughter to go to bed so I could rest! Then the weekends were spent cleaning, shopping and doing the things that needed doing because I didn't have the time or the energy in the week.

One of the things I did to help was start online food shopping and also buying a slow cooker so dinner was already ready by the time I got home.

Best thing I did? Went part time. I love it, I do three days a week now and have the rest of my time to spend with my daughter. I was panicking so much about money, I was in a good job and good pay and ended up dropping around 11k a year but I actually now couldn't give a stuff about the money. I've only been part time three months but the change in myself is extremely noticeable - I'm not snappy, stressed and appreciate my daughter more. I look at her and she's three years old; I have no idea where that time went and I have less than 2 years until she will be at school. It's crazy.

Good luck, I hope some other mummies give their advice on how they manage! Xx

Unfortunately they do not want any part-timers in my team at work. I would have to apply for a new job somewhere else. As much as that was very scary for me at one point, it's starting to look very appealing right now...

But let me ask you something, what if money wasn't an issue? And that job you do - you do it because you love it and you know you're gonna excel at it the more you get experienced... Would you still wake your LO up so early in the morning when it's so cold outside just because you "have" to go to work?

So frustrating thinking about this kind of stuff every single day...

The only positive thing about this is that he wakes up with the biggest smile on his face when he learns we're gonna go out now!

 

[Dinah93]

If money was no issue I wouldn't work until the kids were in school, I'd hire a cleaner, and just play all day! I am self employed after being made redundant while pregnant with my second, I constantly felt swamped and while I panicked actually it's worked out great for us as a happy family, we have a lot less money now but we're less stressed and do more together. I work a lot as a designer after the kids are in bed, and then two days a week I also teach yoga in schools. I'm cutting this down to one day though as I realised I was working for £7 a day after travel and childcare, at least the other day my husband doesn't work so no childcare costs.

 

[Lirpa11]

Frustrated working mom here! I'm struggling with time management... I work 4 days a week, but my day 'off' is often spent cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, doctor visits, bill paying etc that I cannot do while I work!

Then the weekends are spent seeing people we do not see during the week, and catching up on what I can't catch up on my day 'off'. Im always exhausted and it's starting to get to me. Plus DH seems to either work late most nights, or go to my parents house down the road to work on cars etc... So I get left with DS to try and take care of him, feed him, clean up his mess, bath time, plus fit in making our dinner and cleaning up... argh.

Life of a working momma!!!