Are working moms stretched too thin?

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2004
Are working moms stretched too thin?
1078
Tue, 06-13-2006 - 2:45pm

Do you think a mom who works full-time and has kids is stretched too thin?

I was working full-time up till November of 2005. Then I decided that it was all too much. I was exhausted and found that when I did get to spend time with my little guy (he is now 2 1/2) I was very impatient with him because I was soo tired. Also the stress of work often overflowed into my personal life (both with ds and dh).

Now that I have been home for over 6 months, I am finally starting to be more patient and am enjoying my son instead of rushing him along. If he want to take 20 minutes to get into the car - ok, no problem.

So - do you think that trying to juggle work, kids, marriage and all the stresses that come with those things is too much? (I did)

Maybe when my son is older - then I will go back to work and it might be easier because he will be more self-sufficient? Who knows? All I know is that for now, I am enjoying being a SAHM and am glad for the time I get to devote to my son and the lower stress levels (that I believe were very unhealthy for me).

josee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2006
Fri, 06-16-2006 - 3:51pm
I think it depends a lot of what "older" means.
Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 06-16-2006 - 3:57pm

I think I already answered that. I said I wasn't opposed to using physical restraint, but for me it would be an absolute last resort.

I actually wonder how easy it would be to wrestle a fighting, screaming 2-yr-old into a car seat anyway. I think in another debate pnj said one of her boys was so big at that age, she couldn't even carry him across a parking lot. I think if you're going to use physical restraint, you'd better be 100% confident you will win. I'd rather not get into a tussle like that.

It's hard to say what I would have done in your first scenario, since it's never happened to me, but I might simply have called a friend or my mom and asked her to pick up my older child at school. In your second scenario, I would have simply picked up the obstinate child and carried her to the bathroom. I've already said that I would carry a screaming kid away from the park or another setting (and have done so). My kids are not angels--they were perfectly typical 2-yr-olds.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2003
Fri, 06-16-2006 - 3:58pm
eeewwww...gross, just gross.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 06-16-2006 - 3:59pm
School doesn't start in highschool. It starts at age 5 at the latest. And next year if your son is going to preschool. So if he's going to preschool, the pressure not to dawdle will start pretty soon. Although the penalties at that age will be the teacher taking YOU aside and giving you a talking-to about tardiness. Since it will be assumed that any tardioness is your fault, which it actually is if you allow dawdling.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 06-16-2006 - 3:59pm
I'd get a sitter the next time, and I'd take my other child with me to a lunch with friends. We'd come home talking about how fun it was to hang out with so-and-so, and how we played at the park afterwards, and how we got ice cream cones with sprinkles. I doubt it would be a problem for long.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 06-16-2006 - 4:00pm

You're kidding, right?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-23-2003
Fri, 06-16-2006 - 4:00pm

<I haven't ever forced a screaming child into a car seat. >


Okay you have never had to force your child into a car see.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Fri, 06-16-2006 - 4:00pm

>> Said husband would be doing major penance for something like that. <<

Ahhh.. yes... but would you know unless he told you? ;)

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Fri, 06-16-2006 - 4:01pm
Several parents "got in trouble" at ds' preschool for being habitually late. When kids came in late, it would make all the other kids get excited again and they'd have to start all over.
Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 06-16-2006 - 4:02pm

Well, you don't expect them to remember. You tell them. "Today, big sister and I are meeting suzy and her mom at the bagel shop and then going to the park. We're sorry you can't go, but you wouldn't get in your car seat last time, so you can't go with us again until I can trust you to do that." Then you come home and tell her about the ice cream cones with the sprinkles.

I know you're dubious about the natural and logical consequences thing, but it has worked great with my kids.

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