I felt (and still feel) very lucky to be able to work from home. I have flexibility, I don’t have to dress up, and I can usually do random small things (laundry/dishes) throughout the day. Most of all, I get to pick Jenna up from school most days. (Sarah is there all day still, so she gets picked up at our convenience.) Here is the drawback: I am working from home. WORKING. I knew it would be a rough adjustment for her at first, because I knew it would take her a while to figure out that I really do need to work when she’s home, and I can get her a snack or get a craft ready for her or turn on a TV show, but I can’t spend time with her. I hate that. She still doesn’t really get it, and this is her 5th month of Kindergarten. I am SUPER lucky that my mom picks her up once, sometimes twice a week from school because those are always my most productive days. I am also glad Jenna gets to spend time with Mimi, and Mimi gets to spend time with Jenna. She has so much fun though, it makes her days when I pick her up that much more blah. She knows she’ll be watching TV or coloring or playing in the back yard BY HERSELF. Jenna doesn’t really do ‘by herself,’ which makes it more of an adjustment.
I hate that I’m always telling her “no.” Can we please, please, please play at the park for a little while? No, I have to work. Can we please, please, please go get ice cream? No, I have to work. Can we please go to the library? (That one only gets one please.) No, I have to work. These are things she does with Mimi, but unfortunately, they are things I can rarely do with her. I chose this. I went back to work, and I chose to pick her up instead of putting her in an after-school program. It stresses me out to be in the middle of something and have her bust in with “The show’s over!” or “I want some paper or another snack or I want to go outside…” Or even a hug with “I love you.” I really hate being “bothered” with that one, but I require a lot of concentration for most of what I do. I chose this because I thought it would be best for her to get to come home after school, and I thought it would be best for me to get to see her a little more. But I wonder if I chose right.
