No really. This one is a difficult one to balance. ARE YOU SERIOUSLY COMPLAINING? Yes, I understand with all my heart that it is difficult to sleep, get the new baby to nap and get your hubby in gear. But if you haven’t tried to get to work while having kids at home then OMG you seriously need to go find a job outside the home so you can appreciate what you are complaining about.

I was lucky. SUPER LUCKY!!! My parents didn’t have the support they gave to me. I found out officially, I was preggers with my first the same day they signed to buy the cafe I had managed for 3 years and was set to help them keep managing and grow to what I had hopes for it. She was the first for my side of the family in that generation, so it was excitement all the way around. BUT I worked serious hours while preggers because I loved my job even before my parents took it over. I still miss it even thought they closed down. I rock at customer service.

I took a few months off from work and I couldn’t stand being home alone. I couldn’t afford to shop as much as I was and we really did need the extra money. Let alone the help I had promised my parents (which they didn’t care about anymore with the birth of their first grandbaby!) that caused me guilt. I thought I’d be there to do it all with them as I’d done in years past.

Anyway…I did go back to work and this is where I had it lucky. My Mom watched the kids while I went to the cafe for her.

But that isn’t the point. Eventually they did close down. I went back to work. It was only 25-30 hours a week, but I had to be there by 6am. Again, thankfully my Mom rocks and came up to my house to watch the kids. But I also had to get hubby off to work, plan dinner and work. And get the rest of things in order.

Now, when my hours are crazy I only have myself to blame. I work 100% for myself. Sure it’s difficult. My husband works 24 hour shifts and I need to work late on some nights because it’s the only time some of my clients can get to the gym for training. But I don’t have to work around anyone else’s idea of when I should work. I fit my online work in around my family’s schedule and they have gotten used how I try to schedule a lot of my work.

So obviously I ran into a bunch of blog posts and forum posts recently that were complaining about fitting it all in. To those complaining, I would just like them to remember they could be in a 9-5 job where they have no choice and they can’t rearrange their schedule to fit their kids without losing their jobs. Yes, it’s a big balance. But instead of complaining, remember what the alternative is. Having your kids in daycare and letting someone else raise them. That’s a whole other post. My Mom had a daycare for over 15 years before the cafe. I spent more time with the kids than their parents

This was posted by Val on January 24th, 2010. You can find more information like this in General Biz.