How do they do it?
I find myself asking this question all the time. How can they afford to stay at home with their babies, while I can't? How can they job share but not me? Did we really make that many mistakes in our finances? Do we really live above our means? My husband has a good paying job. How come they get to stay home with their squishys while I have to go to work?
How do they make it work?
I want to be the one to see her crawl the first time. How can I see that when I'm teaching all day? I want to be the one who knows how to get her to nap like a champ. How can I do that when I'm not around for her naps? I want to teach her basic sign language. I want her to do "more" and "milk" and "please". How can I do that when I'm not with her during the day except on the weekends?
Now that she's getting older it has become harder and harder to leave her each day. She's no longer the little lump of cute. She's moving. She's sitting. She's learning and reacting.
And I'm missing it.
I'm jealous. There. I said it.
I am as well; I was thinking the same thing just this morning when I dropped B off.........
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think the same thing...but then I think of all the positives that come out of me working- besides the obvious of me getting adult time and contributing to our family...
ReplyDeleteHenry is very independent and has very little stranger anxiety [good when me & Ryan need a date night :)]. He gets the biggest smile on his face when he sees me come home from work. I treasure time with him way more than I think I would if I was home with him all the time.
It's hard and sometimes it just plain sucks. You are doing what's best for your family...sounds like a pretty awesome mom to me :)
you just hang in there. lilly will certainly appreciate your hard work and i know scott already does. just a few more weeks and it's summer time. then you get to spend all sorts of time with her. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt breaks my heart to leave my little stinker too, but God brought something to my heart that I thought I would share with you. As much as your little girl needs you, I'm sure your precious students need you too and God knows how important you are in their lives as well! :) So you're not only impacting one life each day but many lives...that's what I remind myself every day when I drop her off...
ReplyDeletehaha, your comment cracked me up!
ReplyDeleteHi Laura!
I'm glad you are inspired! That inspires ME... pretty neat little cycle! :)
I'd be glad to let you in on my secrets (they're not really secrets), and if you need any motivation or anything, don't hesitate to email me!
brandi.laughlin@gmail.com
Good Luck!
And PS.. I totally relate to this post!
And Lilly is precious!
Aww!! I can't imagine not staying home when I have kids, but unfortunately, I think I will probably have to work as well!
ReplyDeleteHang in there...what YOU are doing in your career path is BEYOND rewarding! :)
Happy Monday, Laura!
I had the exact same feelings after I returned to teaching when my son was 5 months old. At that point we decided with the next baby I would take a year's leave of absence.
ReplyDeleteI maxed out my short term disability, we banked EVERY spare penny we could, and we came up with a definite budget and we've pretty much stuck to it. I went out of work last March, the Bug was born in April, and now my year (school year) is almost up. I did opt to tutor reading one day a week at a local elem. school for a little extra $.
I'm returning to work full time in the fall, and while it will be hard I'm just glad I had this year at home. I just wish we would have planned better before my son so I could have done it with him too!
Stay positive, and speak to anyone you can who stays at home and is willing to discuss the finance part with you. You may find options you didn't know were there.
Oh sweet blogging friend! I cannot relate since I don't have any kiddos yet, BUT my heart can only imagine!!!
ReplyDelete