The transition to Okinawa - culturally and personally, at least - has been the smoothest for me of all our moves by far, which was a welcome change and huge relief. I honestly hadn't even prepared myself for the difficult of finding and making friends on an island a mere 8,000 miles from home because I had too many other things to worry about. Luckily, I didn't waste my energy on that because that part has worked out much better than I could have imagined!
The one thing I am really struggling with, however, has always been my achilles heal. It is the same thing I struggled with while preparing for our move to Quantico. To work, or stay home with the kid(dos)- the eternal question. In talking with so many of you, I realize I'm not the only one who struggles with this, though there are certainly those who have their opinion one way or the other.
Staying home sounds fantastic to me, in theory. Who wouldn't want to spend this precious time with their little ones while they are... little? No stress of everyday work to report to, bosses to impress, deadlines to meet, or daycare issues to juggle.
Except that all of that stress is stuff I kind of like. I like feeling part of a team and accomplishing things at work. I love having my own projects to work on and, up until now, helping students transition to college in some way. And I really like having my own spending money and "contributing" to the household in financial ways.
Don't get me wrong... I love Wyatt. He is such a joy. And I'll love this new little bugger in my belly that's currently driving me crazy. But some days, I'd honestly rather deal with the poop at work than the poop in the potty.
It's just that I get bored so easily. Not phsyically, because I love the amazing balance I feel right now with getting things done for our family and spending time with Wyatt without being exhausted all the time. There's always places to go, new things to do or explore, playdates to be had, recipes to try, and errands to run. But mentally, I miss the challenge and intellectualness of my professional work, and I don't know how to get that back without giving up what I like about staying home.
There are options, I think, for curing this - some of which I'm going to try. I'm going to contact the Animal Rescue League here and start volunteering there, and there is a freelance editing position I'm thinking of applying for to use my professional skills. So I'm going to try and stimulate this intellectual-ness of mine and see how it goes. In the meantime, though, advice is always free for the taking, so share some if you got some.
3 comments:
i wish i could give you a suggestion, but it is something i have been thinking about a lot as well.
granted, i have not been working full time for the last year and a half because it does not suit our lifestyle. there needs to be a person who can stay home in case of emergencies on our farm. but i have enjoyed contributing to our income and getting out of the house when i do substitute.
we have decided that i would at least not work during the first 6 months after our baby is born. after that we are going to evaluate. we've talked about me working 2 days a week or something along those lines after the baby is born, which i think is a possibility. but i have no idea how i'll feel after the baby is here.
when i was between jobs last year, i found a lot of things to do on the internet that contributed to our income and made me feel useful. i also volunteered a bit, which was nice. i liked getting out of the house, which i think is important for sanity.
i think you'll know the right thing to do when the time comes, and it sounds like your current game plan is a smart one!!
Funny, I am struggling with that right now as I have to make my final decision this week on if I am going to stay at home or go back to work. However, I just read In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms and it really helped me in making my decision.
Work will always be there - forever and ever. Enjoy the few years they are little and then you can always go back to work later. Your volunteering idea is a great one to help you get out and do something - or maybe the working at home. I wish you luck in your decision.
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