Doin' the working family double shuffle

[Epacris]

It's hard! Ergh!

DS and DD's FDC carer is sick today. This is the first time she's been sick in two years so we can't complain, but ergh! Now we have to have the discussion about who's work's more important today, who can work from home. There's 600ml of EBM in the fridge that's been frozen so it can't be refrozen (precious, precious, every drop). I'm thinking about the pile of "to do" things on my desk that's going to be getting bigger, not smaller and about my coworkers who are fantastically understanding but who I feel like I'm letting down.

We chose this life, we know it's going to be hard sometimes (lots of times), but I just need to go ERGH! every now and again.

[MamaPan]

oh honey i hear you.... it is such a delicate juggling act sometimes...

[MantaRay]

I totally know how you feel. It is hard and you always feel like you are juggling. And then when something unexpected happens it throws things into chaos.

The trick that I have finally learnt, is to not feel guilty about work. I do my job. I might not always do the right number of hours (in fact if I'm honest I often don't), but I do get the work done. And if some weeks I need to stay back or put in extra hours at home, I do. So nobody is complaining about the weeks when my hours fall short (but the work still gets done!). I felt guilty for ages about my short weeks, the days off when a DS is sick or school holidays etc - but not now. Finally I have accepted that I am doing my best, that working parents need extra time off and that's just the way it is. I would rather be letting my colleagues down than my DSs anyday!

Try not to let it get you down hun. You are doing an awesome job.

[Mak]

Nothing like feeling guilty no matter what you do! Arghhh... some days are just a bit harder than others. Sounds like you are doing a great job.

[Epacris]

Thanks girls! Yeah, what is it with the guilt thing it is such an unproductive emotion, but we just can't help ourselves sometimes.

Anyway, we survived. Our carer rang at 6:30am, so DH worked from 7:30am to 3pm, I did 11am to 5pm and my Mum watched the kids for us from 11am to 3pm. What a juggle!