Sunday 19 June 2011

It is all a balancing act.........

I returned to the workforce this year, last having been employed in paid work in 2003 - it was a nice long break and gave me the luxury of being a full-time stay at home mum to M1.  Unfortunately, with everything going up, finances were getting a little too tight and a work opportunity came up that seemed just right - almost too good to be true. Time to take the plunge and become a "Working Mum".

Wow!  What a steep learning curve!  After six months, it is still all about juggling and balancing.  Balancing the desire to be at home with M2 (who now does "school" 2 days a week), balancing wanting to do a better job at work but not wanting to increase my hours, finding the time amongst it all to spend with hubby, washing, ironing, school commitments etc etc.  You all know what I am talking about.  I didn't realise it would be this challenging.  I have come to realise that in this world of being constantly busy - we seem to spend a lot of our time being busy "being busy". 

That is to say - will the world stop if you have to order tuckshop today instead of making a lunch?  Will it end if you really don't send that work email out today or return that one extra phone call.  No, it won't.  Quite simply we have ourselves to blame for a lot of this busyness.  Technology doesn't help either.  We are always available (I will be on email, facebook, mobile if you need me).  Well guess what, business's were able to thrive 5 years ago without their workforce being constantly at their beck and call.

Is it time we said, "my business hours are 9 - 5" and actually meant it???  I don't know, as I am as bad as the next person.  I hate not (dare I say it) over-achieving at my job.  I hate having a pile of washing left unfolded (but I often do).  What I need to remember though, is my stress level impacts everyone around me.  It is up to me to say STOP.  If M1 or M2 ask me to, and I am in the middle of trying to do something, unfortunately I am likely to snap at them - something that is not their fault becomes a sad thing for them.  They didn't ask mummy to go to work.

So from now on I am trying to slow it down to a reasonable "busyness".  One that suits the whole family.  M1 and M2 are not going to remember that suddenly I could afford tickets to the Ben 10 Show - what they will remember is that as a parent I was always available to them.  That is a much better legacy.

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