I have worked in a retail setting my entire working life. It still, to this day, amazes me that people can get worked up about a store being closed for one day. One day! And this time it's even in the middle of the week - with work days on both sides. I'm pretty sure you aren't going to die because you didn't buy milk, and I'm sure you really need that toothpaste or else all your teeth will fall out tomorrow.
Now over Christmas - that can be a different story. Depending on where the holiday falls there can be up to 4 days off in a row in some cases. But still - plan a smidge ahead people! You can plan your company, your food, and your travel, but you can't realize you're going to run out of your prescription? It's not that hard.
My other favourite thing is the people who seem surprised we (people in the retail world) get a holiday off. I know not all stores are closed for a holiday, but where I have worked for the last 14 years we have closed for every holiday. Every holiday! Why is this now a surprise, here, today, when tomorrow is another holiday?
Sadly (sort of) this Canada Day falls on a Wednesday. What do we already know about Wednesdays? They're my regular day off. This is great in that I get the day off and I get paid this week, but not so great is that my family is home and we're having company (that's not the bad part) so I won't get my usual home-work done this week. You know, laundry, tidying, vacuuming, grocery shopping, even the gardening I try to fit into my "quiet" day. Of course this is greatly outweighed by the family who is coming to help us build a fence tomorrow (thankyouthankyouthankyou!) and visit and eat and all that. But my week feels incomplete if I don't fit in some time for me, you know?
Anyway, to sum it all up, I'm happy my workday is over today - it was busy in spurts, and frustrating in spurts, and I felt like unplugging all the phones - I'm looking forward to some extended family time tomorrow, and I'm hoping desperately it doesn't rain all day. That will make for some grumpy fence builders, and cooped up kids. The city has so many fun things planned for tomorrow it will be sad if they have to be cancelled because of weather.
What do you have planned for your mid-week holiday (or July 4th celebrations, Yanks)? I hope all my readers have a great time doing what you do!
Toodles!
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
Working Mom Stress
I am currently quite content with my work life/home life balance. I work 4 days a week with my day off being Wednesday, which breaks up the week quite nicely. I use my day off for fun things like laundry, groceries, vacuumming, general tidying and sometimes (only sometimes mind you) a haircut or waxing appointment. The kids are at school and daycare, but I usually collect them early so we can get homework done and have some time together. It's been working out very nicely.
Now one of the girls at work has given her notice and we will be short staffed on Wednesdays. Logical that I would jump back into the Wednesday shifts I worked a year or more ago. But I don't want to - and I have a boss who asks your opinion (usually) before big changes are made, which is great, but saying I don't want to work Wednesdays does not mean I will not get scheduled on Wednesdays. I've already given a list of days I'm unavailable, based on appointments and plans made earlier under the assumption that I wouldn't be working those days - and that actually turned out to be almost half the Wednesdays of the summer. I do hope boss-man does think about hiring someone part-time. I'm feeling serious anxiety about the whole thing.
To top it off, eldest daughter is enrolled in a modelling/acting/talent course at an agency, and when she completes that (at the end of July) they will be marketing her for jobs in that arena. That means there's the potential for auditions and such in Toronto or other areas that we would have to plan around with short notice. Also not looking good for short-staff problems at my workplace. I did inform boss-man of this as well, in hopes of enticing him to think seriously about hiring other help.
Toodles!
Now one of the girls at work has given her notice and we will be short staffed on Wednesdays. Logical that I would jump back into the Wednesday shifts I worked a year or more ago. But I don't want to - and I have a boss who asks your opinion (usually) before big changes are made, which is great, but saying I don't want to work Wednesdays does not mean I will not get scheduled on Wednesdays. I've already given a list of days I'm unavailable, based on appointments and plans made earlier under the assumption that I wouldn't be working those days - and that actually turned out to be almost half the Wednesdays of the summer. I do hope boss-man does think about hiring someone part-time. I'm feeling serious anxiety about the whole thing.
To top it off, eldest daughter is enrolled in a modelling/acting/talent course at an agency, and when she completes that (at the end of July) they will be marketing her for jobs in that arena. That means there's the potential for auditions and such in Toronto or other areas that we would have to plan around with short notice. Also not looking good for short-staff problems at my workplace. I did inform boss-man of this as well, in hopes of enticing him to think seriously about hiring other help.
Toodles!
Sunday, 31 May 2015
One of Those Days
Some days I just can't handle my mom life. Everything irks me: the kids are too loud, the dishes are piled up just for me, everyone's shoes are in the middle of the floor and I can't escape even for 2 minutes. On these days sometimes I just want to go "home"...until I realize I am home and the "home" I'm thinking of I gave up 15 years ago to move forward into adulthood.
Don't get me wrong, I love my mom life. These little people who just want to sit with (or on) me all the time just because they love me are fabulous and a continuous sense of wonder and joy in my life. But once in a while I like some "me" time. Even when I have time at home without the girls I rarely take time just for me. I'll go get groceries and do dishes and laundry, sweep the floors, and clean up the toys that I keep stepping on, before everyone gets home to eat the food, dirty the dishes and create more mess and laundry. It's a vicious cycle.
Now that I'm blogging (which I am enjoying immensely by the way) I've taken away a few more of those quiet minutes I try to sneak during the day. But the writing actually allows me to unburden myself of some of those feelings that get pent up when you are frustrated with your kids or family. I really don't want to yell at the kids, or be upset with my hubby, when I don't know why I'm frustrated in the first place. So by taking time out to write about it I can feel my feelings and describe what went on (if I really want to) and work through it. For me it's quite therapeutic.
In case you haven't picked up on it, it's been one of 'those' weekends. Hubby was away all day yesterday so I had to deal with every need/want/crisis etc that cropped up. Thankfully it was an alright day, but when the neighbour kids congregate in our yard I feel like I have to "mom" them too, and so I truck out snacks and drinks and whatever else they may need as well as tending to my own offspring. I love that the kids like to play in our yard, and it keeps it easy for me to watch over them (without helicoptering) but sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Sometimes when I'm alone after the kids go to bed I just sit and have a little cry, and I don't really even know why, but it releases some of the tension I was feeling during the day.
I don't think it's too much to ask to be able to drink my tea while it's hot, or surf the internet for 5 minutes without someone climbing into my lap and demanding to "play games!" or even read a book for more than 2 minutes at a time (and subsequently reading the same two pages over and over.) But I guess such is the life of a mom!
Toodles!
Don't get me wrong, I love my mom life. These little people who just want to sit with (or on) me all the time just because they love me are fabulous and a continuous sense of wonder and joy in my life. But once in a while I like some "me" time. Even when I have time at home without the girls I rarely take time just for me. I'll go get groceries and do dishes and laundry, sweep the floors, and clean up the toys that I keep stepping on, before everyone gets home to eat the food, dirty the dishes and create more mess and laundry. It's a vicious cycle.
Now that I'm blogging (which I am enjoying immensely by the way) I've taken away a few more of those quiet minutes I try to sneak during the day. But the writing actually allows me to unburden myself of some of those feelings that get pent up when you are frustrated with your kids or family. I really don't want to yell at the kids, or be upset with my hubby, when I don't know why I'm frustrated in the first place. So by taking time out to write about it I can feel my feelings and describe what went on (if I really want to) and work through it. For me it's quite therapeutic.
In case you haven't picked up on it, it's been one of 'those' weekends. Hubby was away all day yesterday so I had to deal with every need/want/crisis etc that cropped up. Thankfully it was an alright day, but when the neighbour kids congregate in our yard I feel like I have to "mom" them too, and so I truck out snacks and drinks and whatever else they may need as well as tending to my own offspring. I love that the kids like to play in our yard, and it keeps it easy for me to watch over them (without helicoptering) but sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Sometimes when I'm alone after the kids go to bed I just sit and have a little cry, and I don't really even know why, but it releases some of the tension I was feeling during the day.
I don't think it's too much to ask to be able to drink my tea while it's hot, or surf the internet for 5 minutes without someone climbing into my lap and demanding to "play games!" or even read a book for more than 2 minutes at a time (and subsequently reading the same two pages over and over.) But I guess such is the life of a mom!
Toodles!
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