Right now I am off for the summer and the Mr. has started a second-third shift job (it’s supposed to be 8 hours but routinely lasts 10+) resulting in him not getting home until the wee hours of the morning and thus making me parent numero uno Monday through Friday because he’s sleeping usually until damn near nap time and then is gone by the time dinner, bath and bed and I’ve noticed a few things about myself in this new daily schedule:
6:30a – 7:00a: the Munchkin starts to stir, babbles in her crib most likely to her flowered hippopotamus Katie until she’s decided she’s had enough then starts screaming
7:00a – 7:30a: Convince the Munchkin to get out of the crib after she’s done yelling at the dog who came in to investigate.
7:30a – 8:00a: Breakfast, I attempt to make something that resembles varied and healthy for the two of us and it usually results in the Munchkin just wanting to eat whatever I’ve made for myself so other than the coffee she and I share breakfast and generally results in her getting coated in it. Also feeding the 5 fur children.
8:00a-11:00a: We play either downstairs or in her room subject to the whims of the toddler and her toys. While she’s entertaining herself sometimes she requires my presence in her court, sometimes she requires my interaction, or I can get away from her tyranny and potentially accomplish something crazy like adulting! She’s gotten to the point where she doesn’t really require me to entertain her but some days if I attempt to leave her space she does start throwing a hissy fit. When we’re playing in her room it results in me just reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy out loud as she plays with her toys around me.
11:00a-11:30a: Lunch time! Once again this generally results in us sharing food, but I’ve made an effort to not necessarily make “kid” food to try and encourage her to eat as many different things as possible, so far my plan is working so I guess I’ll stick with it.
12:00p-2:30p: Nap time! This is my chance to get anything done I want. I’ve been alternating spending time writing curriculum which has been a huge pain in the ass, straightening up the house, or just being a bum. I’m glad that we get nap time still!!
3:00p-5:00p: More playing! If the weather isn’t too bad I try to get outside. Sometimes I take the dogs and the Munchkin for a walk.
5:00p-6:00p: Dinner prep, eating, feeding the fur children again (why does everyone need to be fed so much?). Luckily the Munchkin has not entered “picky” toddler stage yet so she eats whatever we eat. Tonight for example it was Coconut Tofu Curry with vegetables and jasmine rice with a bowl of watermelon for dessert. She ate with gusto even after having a snack so I’m guessing there is a growth spurt on the horizon.
6:00p-7:00p: Bath if it’s necessary, which during the heat wave it seems like it has been. Sometimes a little last minute playing in her room and then the bedtime routine. Most nights she falls asleep pretty well and generally sleeps through the night, when she doesn’t there’s usually a good reason for it.
Once she’s down I generally clean up dinner and then do whatever until I feel like going to bed which is usually much later than it should be but I’m a night owl by nature.
I have noticed that being home with the Munchkin during the day has some pros and cons compared to when I’m at work. I feel like I’m getting more time with her of course but I’m not sure if it’s more quality time than the few hours I would get to see her during the school year. This trade off of more v. better time is definitely something I’ve been struggling with. There have definitely been some rough days where she has been a clinger and it’s made it difficult especially because she can’t vocalize her needs just yet (she’s getting better) so I have to play 20 guesses to try and understand why she’s upset and when you’re a toddler everything can send you into a tizzy if it’s not exactly what you want. Getting used to this new schedule has also been daunting since I have basically no help Monday to Friday with Babci still on vacation and it makes me appreciate the Mr. because he holds up his end of the deal it’s just difficult with this schedule as it right now and we need to work out a better system. I’m also not one of those very crafty or creative moms and I haven’t made any “wonderful” experiences for her like you tend to see on social media but I’m ok with that because she doesn’t care what we do as long as we do it together and she’s not going to remember anything special I do now anyway!
It’s a lot easier for me to be present during the school year because my time is inherently limited while I’m working all day away from the Munchkin so I am having to work hard at not letting the moments I do have this summer slip away by watching TV or playing on my phone around the Munchkin but as always I’m a mom in progress, because that’s the only kind of mom there is!
Inside The Messy Life of a Working Mom 