People always wonder how I can like being only a part time worker or they wonder what activities I fill my day with. Of course, you often get 'bet you do nothing all day!' But the truth is every day I am always busy and I can't wait to finish work again for maternity leave! I'm someone who would be quite happy to not work again, whereas that's not for everyone. It's not financially feasible for us either.
I have so much to do every day and although every job sounds little they all mount up. Our house is tiny but I can easily sweep the floor 3 times a day and you wouldn't know! I always make most of our meals from scratch too which takes a fair amount of time of preparation and cooking. I make Luke a salad from scratch too (see below). I also try to do one of my bigger jobs every day e.g. clean bathroom/ironing/hoover etc. This is in between any miscellaneous jobs I have to such as popping to the shop for extra supplies, going to the post office or making important phone calls (of which 9 out of 10 times result in a toddler melt down and a very hot and flustered me!)
I don't spend my days gallivanting out having coffees all the time or visiting expensive children's attractions. The times that I do arrange to see friends with children are often a walk round a nature reserve with a picnic or flask of coffee and as I have found recently, they aren't overly enjoyable for us mums to chit chat. We now have to watch out for children running off and we barely manage to string a sentence together without being interrupted! It's all part and parcel but we love it anyway.
So if we're struggling financially why wouldn't I go back to work full time? Even though Ben was a nice little surprise and this next little bean was planned, I don't believe in having children to let other people look after them for you. I am quite traditional in the sense that I want to be there for my children and I want to watch them growing up. I don't want to have to palm them off on someone when they are ill. And we can just about keep afloat with me working part time for the time being and Luke is accepting of this. Goodness knows what would happen if his dinner wasn't ready for him when he got home from work, he'd be so grumpy!
I feel we have a nice balance and I would say we have a rich life in simple ways. We eat well and we have lots of walks out and about. We do see family and friends often but like I say its at each others house or somewhere cheap. Although its not our own home its a lovely, cosy home with everything we need. Ben has all the toys and books he could wish for and we are always busy doing some colouring or painting or building blocks or in the garden. We have lots to look forward to in life; a new arrival in November, Benjamin turning 3, Christmas and hopefully moving house next year.
They are only little for once so if you can be around for those early years you will never regret it.
Linds xx
No comments:
Post a Comment