Working Outside the HomeDo you face the unique challenges of balancing your career with your children? Come on in and talk with other moms who find ways to make their situation work for the whole family.
Eek! I will likely be starting work full-time starting November 2nd (unless Human Resources takes longer to get ready, or if they for some reason don't OK me). I haven't gotten the official word yet, but the director who would be in charge of me is giving the OK. And he doesn't even need to interview me.
Wow, what a life shift in a week's time! I go from full time at home parent to full time working. DH goes from looking for full time position to full time PhD student and at home parent. We will need to find childcare for kids for 2 weeks in December, and then on an ongoing basis for 2 weeks at time depending on classes that DH takes. We will have to decide when we move out of my parents' home, and exactly where we'll go.
My DH rocks at keeping up with stuff at home, and is great with the kids. The biggest issue will be meals right now. Do I keep cooking, doing a lot of crockpot stuff? Do I plan the menu (since I have the experience and we're feeding my parents, too) but let DH implement the cooking? We'll see. As well, we need to figure out how to get our other car here. Is it better to ship it from CA? It doesn't seem like there will be enough time for me to fly out there and then drive back. Or do we sell it there, and buy a comparable car here?
What other questions should I be asking right now?? Of course, I have to get clothing, too! Though, it's at a school, so I don't need business wear. Just a few things.
Eee! This is the best possible situation for me to be working full time, to ease our transition. In that, my DH is home. And I'm going to be doing what I love and already know how to do. Mostly. I'm sure there will be a bit of a learning curve as I adjust back into the working mind, after 8+ years off. And how much IEPs have changed in 8 years is, I'm sure, considerable.
Also nice is that we will get benefits, and enough money to make it on just my salary, though we'll still be strictly budgeting.
I'm rambling now because my DH is still in his class, for another hour.
I'm excited for you, Heather! I'm not full time but remember how nervous I was when I went back after 7 years @ home. Like Barb said, it'll all work itself out. God's plans always are amazIng, no?!
soooo unexpected, Jen. That does make it all the more amazing. I'm so excited about the actual working, and Carl is thrilled, really absolutely excited for this to work out.
I'm excited for you. You are going to rock! My advice: the transition is huge, so baby yourself, give yourself plenty of rest time, and limit the household things you are responsible for (ie if you can hand over cooking, great - even if in a few months you take it back. You are likely to be wiped out for a while!).
Hi Heather. I am also going back to teaching on November 2. I will be teaching 1st grade. I "know" you from the November board. I have also been out for 8 years and am a little anxious about starting again. My little guy is going to daycare, which I am slightly nervous about but I think he will love it in the long run. I am hiring a college student to come in the morning for Alexis and Joey to get on the bus as I will start before them. The nice thing is we are starting just before Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. I think that will help with the adjustment.
Katie
Hey Heather. Yes, it is a maternity leave position. I will work until at least May and possibly June. Hopefully it will lead to a full time position next year. I am trying to get clothing together. I bought black pants and then I will get several shirts and some necklaces to dress them up to start with. I am trying to find gray pants also so everything will mix and match.
Katie, what are your plans for the week to get ready? I'm trying to think about what I need to get organized. I planned this week's menu and next week's menu. I made next week's easy enough that my DH can do it. But I also need to plan out snacks, because I bake most of them (I wish I could just spend time buying them for awhile, but it's sooooo expensive to buy GF snacks.)
I need clothing (and shoes!), and I need to do as much reading as I can cram in, just to refresh my memory.
Heather, congrats on the new position and having the opportunity to have the hubby be home! I love the way our schedules work out right now. It's been great. I do have to echo that you will be tired and you need to baby yourself. I think you should invest in a nice foot bath massager thinger if you don't already have one. Just the little things like that can help you feel revitalized. I also think it would be good for you to either share the cooking or have him do it for a bit, though this is a transition for him too. We share all the chores and cooking equally and it works out great. We're here for you mama!
__________________ Rachel ~ WOHM, Married to lovely SAHD since 12/29/07, Mom to beautiful daughter Margali born 02/19/08
Congrats, Heather! A new journey for sure - the older I get though the more I realize that every new adventure contains such potential for growth for all involved.
I will be reading with great interest to see how your transition goes - when we go to Florida for the month of Feb, my dh will be homeschooling the girls while I work. And you know from my background how incredibly amazing that is. One of these days I will not be telecommuting and then I will be making the transition too.
Your dh will be, as you already know, GREAT with the kids - and that extra assurance is so wonderful for you.
As far as the clothes are concerned, seems daunting, eh? I'd focus on the classic pieces that never go out of style.
Personally, I'd sell the car and rebuy where you are...it seems a lot of work to go get it - unless you know someone who is willing to drive it out for you in return for a plane ticket home? Depends on how valuable the car is.
Good Luck!!
__________________
Jeni - wife to a great guy and mama to 2 dd at home (9,7) plus two adult dd and a granddaughter!
My ILs are shipping the car out to us. They would rather do that than have us sell it and rebuy, and I have to admit that it would probably be hard to find a similar Subaru out here. It was a wedding present from them 11 years ago.
NOw I just need to hear from Human Resources. I am assuming I'll need to go sign paperwork and such.
You are going to rock! My advice: the transition is huge, so baby yourself, give yourself plenty of rest time, and limit the household things you are responsible for (ie if you can hand over cooking, great - even if in a few months you take it back. You are likely to be wiped out for a while!).
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