I knew something was wrong when Michael started stealing my pins and tangling my thread. He'd hide my scissors, unplug the sewing machine, use up yards of tape. He took more than 50 first-class stamps and glued them to the walls. He cried and whined, clinging to me constantly. He threw temper tantrums, and nothing I did seemed good enough.
Michael says I work TOO much!
He wants me to come outside to watch him ride his bike. He wants me to stay for tea while he's playing at a friend's house. He often cries on the way to school and begs me to stay in his kindergarden class. Most days, he refuses to walk faster than a snail's pace.
Everyone says I'm babying him. They say I shouldn't give in to him. They say I have to show him who's boss. They say he's old enough to understand that I have to work.
But to me it seems that Michael was saying, "Slow down, you're going too fast for me." Michael was saying, "I still need you, even at almost 6." Michael was saying, "I'm not ready to grow up, not just yet."
I made a real effort to slow down. I tried to accomplish as much as possible, while Michael was in school in the morning. And I started hiring people to help with the workload. Since Michael liked to help (for a while), we made a deal: He helped count out stock, divide up supplies, and package goods for half an hour after lunch. Then we'd go out for a walk, or visit a friend, until Jason got home from school.
With Jason to play with, Michael didn't mind so much if I ventured back upstairs to work for another hour or so. They often had to drag me away to cook them dinner. Evenings, I tried to bring work down to the living room, to be with them. I often had to stop for a card game, or to help write a letter. Then it was time for bedtime stories and a talk, even though I was tired.
Working from your home has many advantages going for it. But it doesn't guarantee that you will be there for your children. I feel fortunate that I had Michael reminding me that my priorities are "family first." I just hope my customers understand!
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