This entry in in reply to a reader that asked what I do to deal with the restlessness of being a stay at home mom and fill the void of not working.
As some of you may know, I started working when I was 15 and worked until this past October 2010. When I was younger, I begged to get a job because I wanted my own money. With that job came a lot of responsibility, and I learned that very quickly! Fortunately, I was taught by my parents that hard work eventually pays off. I would like to say that I always gave my all at work and never really viewed my job as just a job! I started working at Food Lion when I was 15, and quickly moved on to Kmart when I was 16. My mom always said that you're supposed to get one job and keep it....welllllll I followed that rule for awhile and realized that we're not living in the same decade anymore! Needless to say, I found myself moving up the ladder with various retail companies and loving working with the public. As you can see, I got my start very early (let's not forget about all of those babysitting and sitting with the elderly jobs I had either before I could have a "real" job). I learned that the harder I worked, the higher up I could go....I became addicted VERY quickly! (I could write a book on work, the value of working hard, you get what you put in, etc etc..because so many times I wished that I could just fire the bums that crossed my threshold that didn't deserve jobs...but I'll leave that for another post).
Having given you a small background on how I feel about work, I'll be the first to tell you that I struggle each and everyday with staying at home and not working! Some of you MAY be amazed to hear this! Yes, I absolutely LOVE my daughter and LOVE being with her, but there's a lot of days I feel the need to just rush back to work. I've often found myself jealous that I didn't take THAT position that was offered to me and someone else did and I knew I could do it 10 million times better. I definitely wouldn't call myself a workaholic (well....when it comes to my job, maybe I am), but I'm pretty addicted to work. Or MAYBE it's not the work, but the feeling of being ON TOP or NUMBER ONE or THE BEST. My competitive side has always driven me so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it!
Now that I've given even more background info and given you a glimpse of what it is that I'm lacking (the ability to be able to compete), I can tell you what it is that I'm doing to fill that void.....
BLOGGING! That's not everything of course, but I've got a goal to be the number one mommy blogger, crafter, bowmaking momma there is! :) If I can bring you everything that it is that you're looking for, I've accomplished my goal! Because what's better that getting to read a new mom's blog (aka a crazy lady), being able to purchase all of the items a mom could want but not have to spend a fortune and maybe learn something about some of my favorite products with a chance to win them?!?!
I learned something in retail....it was called a SMART plan....Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timebound....I think my Action Plan fits perfectly! :)
Ok...so onto the other things I do that you can do also:
1) I LOVE teaching Kylee new things! She's incredibly smart, if I must say so myself. I absolutely love when she picks up on new words, or tricks! These are the things that REALLY keep me going and that REMIND me that I'm staying home for the greater good of my child! Being a new mom, I have to remind myself that what used to be good for my family might not be the best thing anymore. So after my breakdown, I realize that it's not really about keeping floors you could eat off of, running to work to make that extra buck and call up another store to remind them that we're ranked above them or top of the company for that matter, but most importantly it's because who I mold my child into today will determine who she is later in life.
2) I coupon! Since I've had to take the backseat on making money for my family, I've come to the realization that I can save my family thousands of dollars by couponing to fill that gap. This is another way I can be "number 1." I love to see how well I can do and if I can beat my previous shopping trip! Couponing is a great way to feel good about yourself in so many ways. Who doesn't want to help their family save money while challenging and beating their personal goals?!?
3) I vacation OFTEN: Yes, I do have the luxury of being able to run to the beach whenever the mood hits, but it doesn't have to be that kind of vacation. If finances permit, I say drive to a neighboring city that has something that yours doesn't have and take your children with you. Take a day trip to the mountains and find a park to picnic at or take your kids to a nice park. You get the idea! Did you know that there are tons of things you can do with you family that cost little to no money at all?!?! Keep following me, and I'll show you how!
Well....It's almost 2am and I think you're probably wondering when I'm going to stop...so I'll leave it on the table and we'll pick back up with another post!
Til we meet again,
Kerry
