After our Xmas break this year I made myself a promise that if I was going to try and give this work/life balance a good shot, I would need to make more time for my family.
My little family are number one anyway and whatever I am doing I am always thinking of them first. This year we have made a few little changes to make sure I can spend as much time as I can with Liam and Rich. We got a cleaner in which already has made an enormous difference to the way we spend our weeknights and weekends. The other thing I wanted to do was to volunteer some time at Liam's childcare and also take a day off work every second month so Liam and I could spend the day together.
Today Liam's childcare centre had a Harmony Day Morning Tea. Grandparents, carers and parents where invited and we get to look at our child's portfolio and at what they do everyday, while meeting other parents and children. I know I lack confidence and assurance in my role as a mother and I am forever feeling guilty that Liam spends a large part of his week in childcare and with my mum. After today, I can stop feeling like this. I had a fantastic chat with Liam's educators and Liam pretty much left me to it. I had a coffee and a slice of cake and met all the other wonderful families. While watching Liam in his own environment, I saw he was kind and loyal to all the other kids in his room. He goes over to someone when they are upset to see that they are ok, and the best thing of all? He looked so happy and calm. I watched him interact with his educators and they are brilliant with him and he shows them love, affection and respect. My heart swelled. I am so proud of my little boy.
After our morning tea, I took Liam to lunch at Ikea. He picked out his lunch and we sat at the table and had a conversation about our morning so far. Afterwards we picked up a few things and then headed home for an afternoon nap. Then we went to the supermarket and playground.
It was a perfect day.
I am beginning to realise that I am making my own rules about how to be the best mother I can be. Once I let go of the massive expectations I put upon myself and asked for help, and let things happen as they should, I found a weight lift.
Liam brings out patience and love in me I didn't know that I had. It doesn't matter if I am at work during the week. What matters is the time I have with him is solely devoted to him and he is my focus. I can separate my work life and once 5pm comes around I am mum. I am a wife. I am me. Quality...so much better than Quantity.
2 comments:
so this is where you have been hiding..... I wondered where you got to.
Amen to that jo. As working mums we just have to muddle through and not get caught up in other peoples expectations of the perfect mother. We are raising confident and beautiful little people in our own way.
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