An Age Old Question....
There is a snow flurry outside and the baby has just gone down for her morning nap, so I figured I'd take a bit of time to jot something down.
I have a question for everyone... how do you balance career and baby?
Right now we have a bit of a dilemma in our house.
As expected having a baby has been beyond expensive for us. Daycare, clothing... yadda, yadda.
Now I am very good at knowing how to save money on clothes and groceries. In fact I can feed us both for $30.00 if I have the time to cook and stretch the food. That includes meat and fresh foods. But with work I don't have that type of time at all.
Problem is Tue-Fri I'm up at 5:30 for work. We get home from work/daycare by about 6:30. After working all day I barely have the energy to nurse the baby, take a shower and land on the couch to wait out my final pumping session.
The weekends, if we make any plans just exhaust me further and if I'm in the house I can't seem to move off the couch. I can't seem to make freezer meals (not that we have space in the freezer considering all the stored breastmilk).
So I could take an offered promotion at work and probably make up the money we need.
That promotion however will take me out on the road internationally.
And that means that Erin will become a single mother.
And I won't get to see my baby.
It's a tough call, but one that I am sure the answer is apparent. We can't live on what money we have right now. We just can't. It is too tight. Too risky. If one car so much as needed a repair we're screwed.
So how does the world do it. How do you manage to have a child, afford the child and balance time on your career (because you have to have the career to afford the child) against time with your family?
Sigh
I have a question for everyone... how do you balance career and baby?
Right now we have a bit of a dilemma in our house.
As expected having a baby has been beyond expensive for us. Daycare, clothing... yadda, yadda.
Now I am very good at knowing how to save money on clothes and groceries. In fact I can feed us both for $30.00 if I have the time to cook and stretch the food. That includes meat and fresh foods. But with work I don't have that type of time at all.
Problem is Tue-Fri I'm up at 5:30 for work. We get home from work/daycare by about 6:30. After working all day I barely have the energy to nurse the baby, take a shower and land on the couch to wait out my final pumping session.
The weekends, if we make any plans just exhaust me further and if I'm in the house I can't seem to move off the couch. I can't seem to make freezer meals (not that we have space in the freezer considering all the stored breastmilk).
So I could take an offered promotion at work and probably make up the money we need.
That promotion however will take me out on the road internationally.
And that means that Erin will become a single mother.
And I won't get to see my baby.
It's a tough call, but one that I am sure the answer is apparent. We can't live on what money we have right now. We just can't. It is too tight. Too risky. If one car so much as needed a repair we're screwed.
So how does the world do it. How do you manage to have a child, afford the child and balance time on your career (because you have to have the career to afford the child) against time with your family?
Sigh
posted by Mama2Arden | 7:40 AM
2 Comments:
It's very hard work - raising kids. I have to wonder why people still have the urge to procreate.If you live in Massachusetts it's hard enough to support yourself never mind family unless you have recently had a big inheridence or have a large trust fund. I'm doing it without all that and I still wonder how. Good luck to you!!
Do you have friends or family that could watch Arden part-time to cut down on daycare? I don't have a child, so I know it's easy for me to say. I hope whatever decision you make brings you peace and, in the end, more time with your daughter. How often would you be gone if you took the promotion?
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