Things have been obnoxiously crazy around here since I’ve made the switch from stay-at-home-mom to working mom.
Finding my new normal has been a challenge. I’ve been waking up at 6 AM so that I can try to work on the blog and some other writing projects before my shift starts…which, if I’m going to be honest, hasn’t worked out so well. Most days I don’t even hear my alarm, so it’s closer to 7 before I’m out of bed, which makes it difficult. It’s hard to just jump into my day, so I find myself just staring at the screen for an hour before I have to get dressed and get my daughter ready for the day.
Once the workday is done it’s time to get dinner made, take food to Almost-Husband, and try to squeeze in some housework before The Princess and I go to bed. I have been able to work in some blog stuff, mostly on Periscope, but I don’t feel like I have been able to put as much effort into this project as I would like and it’s driving me nuts. The days seem like they are just going by in a blur and before I know it the weekend is here, which on the one hand is great. Who doesn’t love weekends?
The thing is, as much as I want to use my weekends to catch up on all the things I can’t get to during the week, by the time it rolls around I’m exhausted and I don’t want to do much of anything. Once I get all the housework caught up, I’m too worn out to focus on my writing or my music, or to spend time with the people I care about. I’ve also picked up every germ the kids at daycare bring in, so my drive has been even smaller as of late. In fact, I spent all of last weekend in bed with some sort of cold or flu thing and I’m still feeling under the weather.
My daughter is also having some problems adjusting, which makes it all the more difficult. She’s not sleeping well, she’s regressing in the potty-training department, and has developed some attitude problems. Suddenly, she has no listening skills and is even more defiant that normal. It’s been a struggle and I feel as though I spend most of our time at home yelling and putting her in time out and it’s not the way I want our relationship to be.
With all of this craziness, I’ve found my depression and anxiety issues have bubbled up again, which makes it all the more difficult to navigate through these waters.
Still, I’m trying to remain positive.
I’m lucky to have a job…and an easy one at that. Even though I’m not getting everything done that I want to on a daily basis, I’m still making a little progress. I love our home and knowing that we can keep ourselves afloat. When my child isn’t being a little tyrant we share lots of laughs and love. My almost-marriage is stronger than ever. Almost-Husband will be moving to the day shift soon, so I’ll have more help at home. There’s no shortage of things to still be grateful for.
I just need to find my groove.
So, I thought I’d ask all you more seasoned moms for any advice or tips that might help make things run a little more smoothly around here. I would love to hear all about it in the comments!