Transition Disappointment

[Dawn~AturService]

Hi Ladies,
Sorry I've been distant. So much has been going on. I made lemonade out of lemons and have left my full time job (great paying, great benefits, terrible hours, mean people) as a 911 operator to run my Virtual Assistance business full time from home. The juice is rather tart!

I understood that I was not going to have more time. I know the cleaning isn't going to get done any quicker now than it did before. I am very grateful to have all of my meals with my kids and being home to put them to bed and when they wake up. I'm ecstatic not to drag them from sitter to sitter ANY MORE!

My biggest problem is I feel that the t.v. has taken over the place of my 18 months old babysitter. My original plan was to work before she got up, when she napped, and after she went to bed. Usually she doesn't get up until 9:30am, but now that I'm home no matter how quiet I am, she is up at 7-8am. I'm just getting fully focused and productive then (after the java kicks in :)) So we have breakfast, cuddle and then back to the computer I go.

The day pretty much continues on like that until her bedtime. By then I am so wiped I can't even see straight. I get burnt out from staring at the computer screen and my bootie feels sore. :eek: My frustration is the motivator of my late night tonight. (wooo hoooo 11pm! I've been working 3rd shift for over 5 years!)

Don't get me wrong, I take frequent breaks (which doesn't help productivity wise) to make my daughter meals, hug, color, and after 4pm go for a walk, go to the park or do something to give myself a break and spend time with her. I just feel so guilty that she watches t.v. so much. She loves Barney and will watch him 24 hours a day if I would let her! I have to work. It's not an option. I'm grateful that I even have work to do! WHY does it have to be so conflicting?

So WAHM's with little ones, no that I've rambled on long enough, any tips? Will I get used to it once I establish a routine? Am I experiencing the normal emotions of the transition? Will Barney make a good, long lasting positive impression on my little girl??? LOL

Please help. :cry:

[sunshinebabies]

Dawn,

Do you have any friends that you can share playdates with? I do that with 3 of my friends and we each take them for a couple of hours, and we rotate each week. It's a couple of hourse but it sure helps!

I admire you for taking such a big stetp, and once you work out the logistics of working from you, your lemonada will be sweet again:)

[Dawn~AturService]

Thank you sunshinebabies. :sun:
Most of my friends either work days or their kids are grown and they're enjoying living up their freedom. :)

When I worked 3rd shift at the Police Department, and my boyfriend worked erratic hours (which is ALWAYS), I used to have to drag the kids to one of their grandmas' houses at 9pm and then pick them up at 6:30am. Once home, one went to the next babysitter so mommy could sleep and the other off to school. Mind you, both of our parents live 30 mins away (in the opposite direction of my former job). It was brutal!

Last night as I laid in bed alone while my honey worked from 4pm-6am, I thought about how grateful I was to have my kids AT home, in their own beds, sleeping comfortably. If I have to sacrifice Barney as the sitter for a few hours a day then so be it. Life is about compromise, choices and weighing out what's most important. It stinks, but it surely beats the insanity we lived. So I'll throw Mickey Mouse and Blues Clues in the picture. Give her a variety! LOL

Yesterday my oldest daughter had curriculum night at her middle school. Had I been working my full time job I would've missed it. I am thankful for the opportunity to participate more in my children's lives.

I just need to focus on the positive and the things I'm thankful for.

Thank you for your support. :t4:

Dawn

p.s. I'll still open for suggestions on how other moms do it. Lori, you have little ones, don't you?

[Audrey]

Dawn,

Wow....big change. I didn't know kids still watched Barney. My kids are older now. My 18 year old loved loved loved Barney when she was younger. In fact, for her 3rd bithday we hired an entertainer who dressed as Barney and came to her birthday party. What a hit he was.

When she was 18 months old she started in a preschool program. The program for that age group was Tue and Thur from 9am till 11:30 am. I would drop her off at 9:20 so I was back home by 9:30. I'd leave my house at 11:25 so I'd be there by 11:35. I really took full advantage of the full two hours.

In that class we did meet other moms that I swapped play dates with. When she was 2, we were able to move her to Mon Wed Fri 9:00 am to 1 pm. That was huge. By the time she was 3, she was pretty much in school 5 days a week.

My other daughter did not go to school until she was 4, so she was a bit more diffiuclt to keep occupied and entertained. She did play alone some. She did attend a mommy and me class with me once a week, where we met other kids. She did attend a gym class where I had one hour to run errands and such once a week. I had an older child come in and play with her twice a week or so. I exchanged playdates once a week or so.

So to answer your question, yep, you'll find a balance and a routine that works for you.

[Dawn~AturService]

Thanks Audrey. I don't know what it is about that dinosaur, but yes he is still around and kids LOVE him! My 12 years old loved him when she was little and I really wasn't interested in having Barney songs stuck in my head all over again. But the joy on my little one's face when the Barney song starts is so cute that I can't help but to enjoy it as well.

I didn't know they had pre-school for kids that young. I thought they had to be potty trained??? That's definitely something I could consider depending on how the finances go. Thanks for the suggestion. :)

Dawn

[Audrey]

All schools are different. Make some calls. Find schools that take them at 18 months and take them not potty trained. From there, make sure the school meets your expectations. Not all schools are the same. Here's an article I wrote on choosing a preschool http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Choose-a-Preschool&id=279619