WAHM-- work at home moms

Posted: Thu, Jan 31 2008, 10:10 am Post subject: re: WAHM-- work at home moms

cdawnr:
I tried working on the laptop today, and had a 17 month old on my lap and a 4 year old at my back...then they traded places..then they got into a toy fight...then I took them outside and we all had a snowball fight!! Laughing

Basically it took me 6 hours to do what I normally could have accomplished in 2 1/2 hours...I'm ducking away and doing some more tonight when they go to bed...it's going to be a long, long night!

(but the snowball fight was kind of fun...a good excuse to drink hot cocoa

Gold Member Joined: Apr 26 2007 Posts: 1223

mmivan - it helps that my 3 yrd old and 2 year old are great friends and play together.

What Mimivan wrote about the reality is true. My baby (#3) is the first who was born into a WAHM situation and I started sending her to daycare at 3.5 months because she so needed stimulation that watching mommy type wasn't giving her. (And she has been home all week with Chicken Pox -causght from her brother_ and I see just how much attention she needs) By about 3.5 months my kids recognize the cmputer and know that it is competition...really.

However, by working at homeyou save yourself commuting, and you cna have laundry or the oven running at the same time and thus try to double up chores....

There are benefits either way. But you can't really have your cake and eat it to. I don't think any WAHM would tell you that this is easy to balance. One f the hardest things becomes making boundaries between work time and house time. Since my comp is always here and there is always work waiting...(and I enjoy my work)...it is a very difficult balance.
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Posted: Thu, Jan 31 2008, 1:57 pm Post subject: re: WAHM-- work at home moms

at the beginning when I would work with the twins in bouncy seats watching me, I'd make faces at them while I was on the phone---- I'd read a book to them between 2 phone calls. I'd talk to them while checking email. So I definitely gave them more attention than I do now (I work when they are napping or downstairs with a sitter and out of my hair). The attention I give them now is 100% theirs--- when I'm not working, I'm not working. But when I am working, I take breaks to come out of my office and come see them.

So I eased into the "oh my gosh, I'm away from my kids a bit each day" mentality. My kids couldn't care less-- they're happy, they're loved, and mommy's gotta make a living.