♫ Pour myself a cup of ambition
And yawn and stretch and try to come to life
Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumping
Out on the street the traffic starts jumping
With folks like me on the job from nine to five
Working nine to five what a way to make a living ♫
~ Dolly Parton
~ Dolly Parton
This post is dedicated to working mums. For your strength, your determination, your devotion and most especially, your sacrifice.
I'm a part time working mum. I need to not want to. I'd rather be a Stay At Home Mum. I envy those who are. Being a mother is a full time job. Period. Add another to the mix and it becomes psychosis. (I thought IF made me crazy, but this is ridiculous)
Fuck I need some sleep. No matter what help I get from Shooter and other family members I still need just a little smidgen of extra time to scratch my arse. I can do it on the train to or from work, but that weird smelly looking guy with pirate eye patch is giving me the looky. I can do it at work under my desk, but it looks strange to my co-worker who is sitting close by wondering why I'm chucking a funny fart face. And then when I'm finally at home, I must remember to wash my hands when preparing dinner after scratch-fest.
I'm constantly trying to remember things.
Life is in motion All. The. Fucking. Time: Working, Washing, Hanging, Changing, Feeding, Shopping, Rooting, Eating, Talking, Typing, Playing, Joking, Laughing, Scrubbing, Cleaning, Arguing, Replying, Exercising, Walking, Transporting, Watching, .....
I work because I have to. Shooter supports most of our financial position, my part time hours make ends meet and affords us some luxuries in life. I'm not one of those wives who forces her husband to work 2 or more jobs just so the woman stays at home. I believe in equal parenting and partnership. I may be shot down for this, nevertheless this is my opinion. If I could afford to stay at home because Shooter earns a better living, then that is what I would do. But I do not believe that the husband/partner has to sacrifice his time with his children just to work several hours a day and including weekends and then gets rewarded with fucking socks for Father's Day.
That's not a family.
I know several women in my life who do just that to their men. And I can easily say with no reservation that their children are suffering. If there is a choice to have the father at home then all options need to be considered to ensure he enjoys his children too. Shooter is from a single-parent family who was tossed around from parent to parent, however his parents did the best for him regardless of their situation. I'm from a migrant family whereby both my parents worked equally and my sister and I enjoyed them both until my father fell ill and my mother had to work more hours. She had no choice, but we survived as a family. Although I wish she was around more for me when I was younger. Present day, whilst I work she enjoys looking after Callum. Redemption.
According to the Institute of Family Studies, statistics show that 42 per cent of mothers with children aged newborn to four are employed in some capacity. So I work. I save. I spend. My luxury is sweet smelling expensive soap for my arse, because I've earned it.
I take my hat off to women in general. I salute mothers. But I shout out to the world that working mothers fucking rule!
Thank god I enjoy my job. Who wouldn't want to work here?
Pool anyone?
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| Not in the photo - Fooz ball, PS 2 & 3, Wii & a Cafe with a Capuccino machine |
I work weekends and study part time after 3 years at home. I take my hat off to Mamas who do that shit full time - It's a challenge to juggle all those balls!
ReplyDeleteMy other half worked 2 jobs for quite awhile when I was pregnant with our second. I understand exactly where you are coming from but that situation actually worked for us.
Having me go to work and earn money has been detrimental to MC's self esteem. I know I know, it sounds ridiculous to me too but he feels that he is not providing enough if I have to go to work and that makes him feel like less of a man. I don't agree with his way of thinking and have tried to sway his opinion but he refuses to budge and I try to accept that.
As much as I love working and studying and having that opportunity to be Holly again for a little bit a week, I must admit that my ass is really missing all that scratching I used to do ;)
Obviously I can't relate to most of this, but I do have to say... man I wish my work had a pool table!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have to return to work unfortunately but I am cutting my hours back. Even so it would still be considered full time but that's the price we have to pay to own a house these days. Unfortunately the way things are going it's going to get even harder financially as everything starts going up. My power bill is almost double what it used to be last summer, not to mention petrol! Aaaggghhh! I'm taking 4 months off and then returning part time to ease back in and I'm allowed to bring the baby with me sometimes too which is helpful! I don't think I'll be back to full time hours until the new year. Thank god for a MIL who is willing to help us out with childcare and a husband who finishes early. At least this way we will get all weekends together as a family as we both have Mon-Fri jobs. What I wouldn't give to be a SAHM though.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what will happen for me ... I was able to juggle everything with one, but boy it sucked ... and now that we have two, well ... it might be too much, in a number of ways ...
ReplyDeleteLove that song, though. :)
Great post and I agree with you 100% on this one.
ReplyDeleteI work full-time, and I hear you! I think it would be hard on our relationship if one of us earned all the money. But, I also totally understand Holly's point. For some men, it is a point of pride. Or for others, the field they choose to work in just happens to pay enough for their wives to stay at home. Or whatever. But like you, I know moms who just seem to not want to work, and that drives me nuts.
ReplyDeleteLove your post.... being a mum is the most satisfying job I've ever had but I have to help pay the bills somehow - it's a real balancing act and love your post in tribute to all the working mums xoxo
ReplyDeleteRight on, sister! I was home with my kids for 5 years and was thrown back into the workplace when my husband lost his job. Extremely thankful that I was able to get health benefits and help support my family. I sucked at balancing everything and the guilt was overwhelming. Now I have a good thing going: working from home 30 hours. I still suck at the balance part, but at least I don't have to take off when they are sick. I am amazed by moms who work full-time outside the home.
ReplyDeleteOh Athena you never cease to amaze me ! I agree 98%.. only cause I would always need the mental stimulation of work. I would be an expensive SAHM! I would feel guilty spending cash if I didn't work. I earn more than Duke working part time, so that is also a factor. And I think preschool is really important. It's really hard work to do both, I was back at work and my son in daycare from 18wks old. A mortgage will do that. I have only just gone to 4 days a week, after being fulltime for 2yrs. It's just life. I would never judge a mum who works or stays at home, but geez SAHMs should have a sparkly kitchen! SAHM's I know have the dirtiest homes in my mums group. But I guess I only have 1 child.
ReplyDelete