Whether you are a mum working in or out of the home, the list of, well, lists, you have to get through every day is fairly monumental.
In my almost-five years of being a parent, I have both stayed at home for periods to raise the kids and now, leave the house a few days a week to work at a desk in an office.
My new arrangement has thrown my previously chaotic life into a different kind of chaos altogether.
On the one hand, I need to be more organised than ever before but on the other hand, I have less time to get all that stuff organised.
These are all the things that sort of, erm, fall through the cracks while I'm off 'galavanting' (AKA trying to make some money for my family):
1. The Dog
Poor Pearl. Once the original and only baby in our family, not only does she now have to compete for our affection with two small kids, she also only gets to come for walks with me on the days I'm not working. In between, it's dog walkers and sometimes, my parents, when they take pity on her.
2. The Paperwork
There was a time when I faithfully filed all of my paperwork; receipts and bills, statements and insurance policies, in a well-kept folder. These days, there is simply no time for filing and everything is shoved into a pile behind the microwave. I'm pretty certain that some part of our house will get cut off eventually.
3. The Laundry
Not that I was ever crazy organised when it came to the laundry but I now spend so little time at home that it is essentially easier for me to go to Penneys and pick up new socks for the kids than spend any time trying to find matching ones at home.
4. Working Out
I used to head for a big walk with the baby and dog at least three mornings a week when I was at home and our older child was in pre-school. These days, the only working out I get is racing to be at my desk on time and the odd lunchtime sprint to the sandwich bar. There'll be no 10k runs for me any time soon.
5. Eating Sensible Meals
On the days that I'm working, my designated time for eating dinner has somehow become 10pm. By the time I get home, the kids are ready to go to bed so I delve straight into getting that under control before any evening time nosh takes place. SO not good given what's going on with Point #4 above!
6. Housework
Yes, I'd love a cleaner but no, it isn't really feasible at the moment. The housework now generally happens between the hours of 7am-9am before our childminder arrives, and between 10pm and midnight after I've eaten dinner and before I go to bed. There is nothing like steam cleaning your floors with one eye open!
7. The Quality Time
There is a huge guilt that comes with being away from your children, no matter the reasons. You know that having a little bit of time apart is a good idea but you miss the bones of them at the same time. When you see those little legs come running for you as you walk through the front door, so excited to see you, the pangs of love coupled with guilt that you feel are pretty incredible.
8. Your Social Life
I find it hard to justify nights out these days in a way that I didn't when I was at home during the day. The idea of being away and unavailable to my family all day and then going out at night too just seems so unfair. Therefore, I'm gonna need my mates to come work here with me if I'm ever going to see them again.
That's cool, isn't it?!
What do YOU find challenging about being a working mum? Let us know in the comments on Facebook.
