Question #6: How do you balance work and family? Share some tips that have worked for you. Have you ever put your own desires on hold for your family? How has this made you feel?
Hmmmmm, the answer to that first part is that I didn't do it very well at all, which is a good part of the reason that I'm not working anymore. Although I did do a few things right, such as all the things I did on the weekend...
Saturday: my husband loves to fish. He will fish in the rain, sun or snow. Usually he will fish every Saturday morning, so I would use the time he was gone to do the laundry. While the laundry was going I would do some other housecleaning and cooking. If I got it all done and he was still gone, I got to treat myself to reading a book. (notice I do not have human children!) On Sunday after church, While my husband might work a little or watch TV that I wasn't interested in (fishing), I would go through the grocery ads and coupons and plan the meals for the week. We would then spend the rest of the day together. Through the week was pretty hectic for me and sometimes him. A lot of times he had to do the cooking as I was so exhausted and/or in so much pain that once I got home from work I was in the recliner til bedtime.
Have we ever put our own desires on hold? Please! we're women aren't we? It's just in our nature to take care of others first! Luckily for me, my husband and I think a lot alike and have the same goals,so while I have given up a few little things, I have not had to make huge decisions. The only big one was that I was going to move to Charleston SC after I got my masters. But then I met my husband and his company is here so I stayed and married him and found a job in the local schools. While I sometimes long for the ocean and the historic streets, I wouldn't change it now.
How does that make me feel? For me, loved....like I did the right thing....that God had this plan for me all along. Is my life perfectly rosy all the time....heck no! But it is good, and it is comfortable, and my husband loves me the best that he knows how, and I have a great church family, and even though money is tight, I get to stay home and take care of him and my home and our "children" (OK, they have 4 legs each, but I love them just as much!)
For this one, I bet most of you would have much better advice than I could give. Please leave a comment with your tips for balancing work and family.
Until Next Time.....
Franny
um.. For me, work/life balance is strictly one day at a time! I'm working full time, as a high school teacher, while hubby stays home and cares for our 9 month old and four year old daughters (no jobs for him at the moment....) I am generally incapable of organising my way out of a brown paper bag (for many years I called myself laid back and spontaneous... Haha). Like wine, I am slowly improving with age- even aspiring to be more organised whenever possible, let's just say human children make the equation a little more challenging :)
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