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Friday, June 24, 2011

I am a member of the working class

I can honestly say that being an at-home mom is by far the hardest job (if you have no help). I have been a college student, a grad student, a tutor, and most recently, a new business owner, and my time spent as a nanny are still some of my hardest hours of the day. Yes, grad school was mentally challenging and draining and running a business is certainly no walk in the park, but being a mommy is by far the most difficult job to do.

This realization is especially clear to me on the days when I am asked to take the kids to all of their activities. Now, personally, I will probably not have the money or the patience to drive my kids to and from after-school activities every single day of my life, however, I am a nanny in this situation and I have no choice. Today, I woke up at 7 AM after only falling asleep after doing all of my own business work at 2 AM. I was already exhausted and the day had just begun. I equate this to what it must be like to be up several times in a night with a child and still having to wake up bright and early the next morning. I drove to the house I work at, a sprawling 2 story cape cod style house outfitted with a pool, hot tub, outdoor patio with a t.v. and heating lamps, a guest house, and many other amenities I don't have time to go into now. I pull up in my Hyundai on timeish (usually I am early, today I was 3 min late) with my happy game face on. It is way too early for me...
I am greeted by an excitable 2 year old and the mom who looks a tad annoyed that I was sitting in my car for 5 minutes finishing a conversation with my business partner when I should have been in the house. I apologize for being 3 minutes late and she says she has to go. She has written a note for me and left all of the tools I need to get through the morning. I have two classes back to back--both in opposite directions of town, and both expecting me to be physically active. I have to get in the pool for a swim lesson and I have to jump around at a "mommy and me" music class (they should start calling it "nanny and me"). Not to mention, get gas for the car and coffee for myself (twice), and lift her in and out of the car, up and down out of the pool, around and around in the music circle... when my back is killing me from my most recent run in with a rear ending. This is not good. For the first time ever, I tell the music teacher "I just can't do it" remembering the words my physical therapist keeps telling me, "stop picking up the baby. you are negating all of the work we do in here every time you pick her up..." So, I sit out and let her run around  in the music circle. (At my second stop at my second coffee shop, I run into one of my business partners randomly and I do a little business talk for 15 minutes and then I rush into music).
I am officially "super nanny" I talk business and watch a two year old and buy coffee at the same time. 
The ONLY thing that is getting me through this whole crazy morning is the thought that at 1:00, I will be in the house with Kiley by myself and for maybe the 3rd time in the 3 years I have worked here, I will take a nap with her. We are both totally beat...
Next post--does nap time actually happen? Not when you are part of the working class...

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the comment! Sorry it took me so long to write back :) I will check your blog out now.

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