with Britt Reints
Forget the 9 to 5; Full Time, All the Time is a blog about the mobile working life - when you have the freedom to work from anywhere and the responsibility of always having your smartphone turned on. Britt Reints works as a freelance writer while traveling fulltime in an RV with her husband and two kids. She explores balancing real-life bills with an unconventional work life, and finding time to maintain relationships with family and friends.
You can also find Britt at InPursuitOfHappiness.net.
Categories: balance, break from reality, flextime, mommy guilt, relationships, the 2nd shift, the juggle, vacation, working from home, working mom
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Hello my gorgeous, awesome, and totally put-together Full Time, All the Time readers. It’s been a while hasn’t it? I hope you haven’t forgotten about me while the fabulous Miss Britt held down the fort here. I’ve been on an unexpected blogging hiatus. I wish that I had witty reasons for my short-term leave of absence, but the truth is that life smacked in the face. Then the gut. Then push me down and kicked me some more.
In other words, I suffered through my first Summer Break as a working mom. Then right when I felt like I was getting it all in control, life sucker-punched me in the face with Kindergarten.
When my son finished preschool in June, we decided (and by “we” I mean, I thought I had the best idea ever) to let our son have a real summer. We spent lots of time at the pool. I spent countless hours shuttling between home and a morning-only summer camp. We played outside with our neighbors. Saw nearly every PG or G movie in the theaters. And my son finally found bravery to ride his bike without training wheels. It was fantastic.
I also spent hours upon hours working late into the night to make up for the lost hours during the day.
I travelled both for work and for pleasure to, unfortunately, not very exciting but unusually hot places. I said “shh” or “mommy’s working” or “I’m on a call, be quiet” or “SHUT UP” way more times than I should. I brought my laptop to the pool and actually worked while others played in the cool water.
I was out of balance, out of ideas, and feeling guilty for trying to create a summer that made from a pipe dream instead of grounded for reality. Mixed in where some personal issues that just made writing about being a working mom an impossible feat. So I took a break. Without telling anyone. And for that, I apologize for letting you down.
The good news is that while I’m still out of balance, out of ideas, and feeling guilty, I also realize that so many of you are going through the same things. So I’m back. Wish I could say that I’m better than ever. But I know that I have a support from my fellow working mommas. At least misery loves company, right?
Photo is of my son swimming on a community swim team. He always looks likes he about to drown and yet his head pops up for air and he makes it across the length of the pool. I thought it was a fitting analogy for my Summer. I often felt like I was in over my head, but I always found a way to still breathe.
Sometimes the breaks we need the most are the ones that can’t possibly come with an announcement.
Miss Britt | October 9th, 2009 at 8:40 am
This is a great post. I can relate to wanting the kids to have a real blow-out summer. I really hope I can do that one day. But like you said, making it happen can be hard. I’m sure your son will remember all the fun things fondly, and I hope you’ll get back on track. Kindergarten has smacked me in the face, too!! It’s Serious school — I wasn’t prepared for the difference between this and Pre-k/daycare!!
Good luck!
Lee | October 13th, 2009 at 11:03 am