(Chaotic bath time in the early days - I manage it better now!)
Hi,
I begin on my soapbox. It makes me laugh that carers have to justify their 'time out' when choosing to return to the workforce. The number of valuable skills you learn or perfect while being a carer is significant...multi tasking (and doing each task well), people management, prioritisation, psychology, educating, mentoring, role modelling, researching, communicating, networking, selling (trying to make anything unappealing seem appealing to a 2 year old is no mean feat!), working as a team, autonomy, etc.
I recently read a blog that gave me a good tip. We all have a list of a hundred things that we need to do and it's so overwhelming that we often don't tackle it at all. Now I take 3 things from the list to achieve each day - most of the time I get all 3 done but if I don't, I feel less bad about not doing 1 or 2 things as opposed to 100. It's also easy to develop a negative mindset when you spend 98% of your time doing things for others - particularly little people where maximum effort can be rewarded with little thanks or return. Most of you are parents, you know. But I try to think a little differently....
I have three incredible little friends who in their individual little ways, demonstrate imagination and possibility...infectious qualities.
Jude has always preferred the company of others to his own, he is organised (perhaps a tad too controlling at times!) and doesn't miss a beat - he wants to know what every adult conversation is about or why I am doing things the way I am. The latest craze with him is robots...and the moral difference between right and wrong, good and bad.
Ivy is open minded. She will perform a task or play with an object in the conventional way once and then do something unique. She is dogged and attacks her day with ferocious determination and independence. She's into sticks at the moment so I'm trying to come up with different ways to play with them...drums, camp fires, painting them, making a structure...
Aden observes and learns. He watches his brother and sister and analyses. A deep thinker but a cheerful soul at the same time. I have a feeling that he will be crawling and walking early...to keep his siblings in sight.
Whenever I take all 3 for a walk to the park I invariably get the comment "Oooh you've got your hands full" - sometimes several times. I was self conscious at first but now I just feel a bit like superwoman...even when all 3 are losing it at the same time. I don't see many others braving the outside world with 3 so young together...that's got to count for something right?!
Winter is well and truly upon us so outside time can be difficult with Aden. During each weekday morning we have a planned activity - Tuesday and Thursday is playgroup, Monday is 3 hours of kindy, Wednesday a babysitter takes J and I to the park for a couple of hours and Friday we either go to an indoor play centre or the park. Afternoons are just spent at home.
In the background James is working through all the kindy application paperwork. We will hopefully hear in the next week or so as to whether we can get the loan and take on the business. Increasingly I hope we can. I think it will be good for our family life - for us to see James more, to give us a joint vision and so the controlling mother in me can be in the same place as where my children learn!
As always I'll keep you posted. Hope you enjoyed my recent video compilation of the family and thanks to all who sent me bday cards and messages!
Love Nic x
