I’ve been a Stay at Home Mom for a little over two months now. Someone asked me last week if I missed work and I didn’t even hesitate when I answered no.
But that’s not exactly true. I do miss work, just not necessarily the work I was doing.
I miss the people.
I miss the act of contributing to a team.
I miss the constant brain activity and brainstorming.
I miss the excitement behind a new idea or successful campaign.
I am loving spending more quality time with my kids. And it’s definitely unveiled some new (and old) things about myself and personality.
1) I suck at arts and crafts. No really I do. I knew I wasn’t great but I am really really bad. I tried to make Bug a sword for his Halloween costume. It looked like…well I don’t know what it looked like, but I’m sure Bug could have done a better job. Hubby came home and made a new one. 100x better.
So pretty much I get out the crayons and markers and we have art time. I’ve seen some cool projects on blogs like TIP Junkie and others, but let’s be real here.
NEVER. GONNA. HAPPEN.
2) I have no patience. That topic has been covered ad nauseam but seriously, what the deuce?
3) I love play dates. By mid-week, I am in desperate need of some adult conversation (more than the 5 minutes I get at preschool drop-off and pick-up two days a week.) Call up another SAHM and VOILA, problem solved.
4) I didn’t realize how much personal stuff I was able to get done when working a full time job. Going to the dentist? Not a problem. Running a quick errand? Easy peasy. Now? I pretty much want to pull my hair out at the thought of loading up the kids to go somewhere for me. I pretty much pray that my mom or sister will be home if I have an appointment. I can do the grocery store with both, but I really prefer not to.
5) I forgot how lazy I can be. Being at home, it just stares me in the face. Take right now for instance. There are dishes in the sink that need to be washed and put away, but I’m choosing not to. I need to vacuum but don’t feel like it. The baby is asleep and Bug is at school. Now would be the perfect time…
I am sure more things will come to light as I continue my journey as a SAHM. It’s been a great ride so far and I’m hoping that by early 2012, I’ll have a nice balance of work and home.
If you actually figure out a nice balance between work and home by early next year, I’m going to need a tutorial!! That, and I might have to hate you just a little bit. 😉
Miss you and hope we can talk soon!
By balance, I mean actually have some freelance projects 🙂 so that I get a little work in. Actually achieving balance is a whole other ballgame. 🙂
All I have to say is….word 🙂
It’s hard to strike a balance. I was always a career girl and was floored by how much I loved being home with my sons (though not without the headaches and griping time to time). Now that my sons are both in school I miss the little things we did together everyday. That connection has now become fainter, which is the nature of growing up anyway, right?
It’s hard to strike a balance especially when you have a little person (cute as she is!) at home. My suggestion-farm out the things you don’t like and suck at. Arts and crafts can be done at the local art center for instance.
As a former SAHM (I work from home), I have a few tips:
-I think patience is learned. I’m still learning it by the way. 😉 Practice it every day until it gets to be your new ‘normal’.
-See if you farm out the kids on the weekend or half a day and take care of you, that’s SO important. I hired a sitter for a few hours every week just to do me stuff like get a haircut, run errands, etc.
-My biggest sanity saver? Go to the grocery store alone, late at night with iPod and coffee in hand. SO much more pleasant and way less crowded.
I love #4 because it’s so true. People don’t realize how many personal items they get done in the office during their work day. When I started working from home I tried to explain that to my colleagues in the office but they truly didn’t see it. Thanks for noticing!
I totally hear ya! When I was laid off I quickly realized I’m not cut out to be a SAHM mom so I’m glad to have the mornings to freelance. I missed exactly what you miss about work which is why I love talking shop with you so much!
I have still yet to find a balance. I think somedays it’s just surviving. And that is okay.
I could have written this post! I too miss the adult interaction and the praises I’d get for a job well done. I also hated that once a task was accomplished it was DONE. Here at home, once the living room is picked up it is trashed in .2 seconds. Blah LOL
So totally worth it, I know. It really is. But yes, there are things I miss too.
Laziness is the worst habit I have as a SAHP. Some days I manage to get nothing done. It’s amazing really, my level of slack.
I’m catching up because your posts still don’t show up in my dashboard. Maybe I can unfollow then try again.
But, I love this post. It is right on especially how easy it was to get personal stuff done. We’ve not got new bedding yet, but had I been working, it would have been done in no time.