I’m a Working Mom
If you don’t already know, I’m a working mom. I work full time from home and I’m grateful for all the benefits of being a virtual employee (the top two benefits are no commute and no business suits).
Now that I have one son in preschool and one son in elementary school my balancing acts seem to have significantly multiplied. This was clear when I forgot to send my oldest son to school with his lunchbox yesterday. So here I sit, recognizing I am not perfect, realizing I need to refocus and set a new direction for my new challenges.
Seeking Some Assistance
Mornings seem to be my biggest challenge (business meetings, breakfasts, getting the kids ready, lunch boxes, driving both of my boys to school, etc) so I have partnered with Nannies4Hire.com to find a nanny or sitter that can help me re-establish a sense of balance into my morning routine. If I can find the right match, having someone help in the morning will allow me to work early every day so I have more time in the afternoons and evenings to spend with my children.
In addition to finding many potential nannies and sitters, I have learned a lot from Nannies4Hire.com relating to interview questions, background checks, references, and contracts. Bottom line, if you are looking for a full-time or part-time nanny or sitter I highly recommend using Nannies4Hire.com as one of your resources.
This is Your Moment
Have you hired a nanny or sitter to help with childcare, driving your children to school, or other activities? Would you feel comfortable delegating some responsibilities so you can spend your limited time on things you want to do – like playing with your kids or taking care of yourself?
It’s a real struggle sometimes balancing it all – even when you work at home! I didn’t think a nanny would work for me, because what I need is some true quiet in my home. So instead I recently committed to a dayhome who can take my littlest one day a week (hopefully two days soon!) and give me that much needed extra time. Good luck with finding the right solution for you!
.-= Laurie´s last blog ..Work at Home Thankfulness =-.
I’ve used a Nanny and it worked out wonderfully for us. This was when my husband was working F/T and I was working P/T and I couldn’t work from home easily because my kids were too young. We found a young college student who was studying child development. It took a little time upfront to really get to know each other/styles, etc. But it paid off because as my trust grew, I was able to delegate more. She’s still one of the most wonderful people we have in our kids’ lives!
Laurie – My need for quiet in the house concerns me too, but so far there seems to be enough quiet in my work space w/out a nanny, so I think it will out okay since I only need help for two hours a day (before every one heads off for school). Thanks for sharing your solution.
Lovina – Ideally, I’m also looking for a college student that I can learn to trust. I appreciate hearing your story.
Stacey, I didn’t know you worked full-time from home – I am amazed you do that with two young ones and find time for blogging too! Kudos to you. But I find I am constantly amazed by mothers of every stripe since becoming one myself. I work part-time from home – do freelance tech writing and have my own meditation/stress management teaching program. Now that my younger ones have started preschool (and of course my oldest also started kindergarten) I do not have help beyond that, but I did before this – a college student who actually had taken my meditation classes. She worked three mornings a week, and in the other mornings and every afternoon I was with the kids (I ended up doing a lot of work after they went to bed at night too.) I was often home with her when she was with the kids, and for me it worked out great. She is also still in our kid’s lives, they love her to death, and babysits when we need a date night or have some other event (like an upcoming parents-only back to school night) to attend.
.-= Lisa (mommymystic)´s last blog ..Chakra Immunity Boost For You and Your Kids =-.
Lisa (mommymystic) – Oh yes, I work fulltime and I’m amazed some days too. Thank you for sharing your story. As I look for help, it really is validating to know others have had or are needing help too. Meditation is doing wonders for me, but it still can’t put me in three places at once. *sigh*
.-= Stacey / Create a Balalance for Moms´s last blog ..Allowing Yourself to Simply Be in the Moment =-.
I can’t seem to buy into the whole balance thing. How’s flexibility or harmony? To strive for balance seems to set ourselves up for failure. We, as moms, are not perfect…. some days better than other and that, to me, is more than okay. I’m all for getting help to make one’s life easier. I tried being a martyr and in fact, it didn’t look good on me. So, if getting help makes you a better mother or wife at the end of the day… go for it.