As a mom, I have a lot to do. I have laundry, dishes, sweeping, dusting, laundry, school work, meals to prepare, grocery shopping, a job, and did I mention laundry! All of this comes with having kids. I would love to read a book while sipping tea and relaxing on the couch. The best plan, according to those who seem to know, is to get up early. That should work for me too.
Just get up early
I can just get up early, and I can get it all done. I set out my clothes and set my alarm for one hour earlier, 5:00 am. I’m all set. I get the kids to bed, put away the remains of dinner, check all the locks, and climb into bed. It’s only 10:00. I have seven hours before that alarm goes off, plenty of time to sleep.
Get enough sleep
My kids have other plans. I just heard one of them walk into the kitchen. I go check and sure enough, there’s a kid rummaging through the refrigerator. “You’ve already had a snack,” I say as I send them back to bed. Now I can go to bed. I glance at the clock, 10:20. I can do this. There’s still plenty of time to sleep.
I just remembered I have wet clothes in the washer. I get up again and transfer the clothes to the dryer. 10:45. Just over six hours of sleep, still enough. “I can do this,” I think as my brain starts to wander. The experts all say this will work. They can’t all be wrong. I look at the clock again. 11:15. That’s almost six hours. I’ll be fine and think of how much I’ll get done tomorrow.
Still awake
Is that a voice I hear calling my name? Yes, that is definitely a voice. I open my eyes and look at the clock. It’s 1:30. I have been asleep just over two hours. “Mommy,” I hear, “are you awake?” I am now. My child can’t sleep. I walk her back to her room and tuck her in. I sit with her while she drifts off. I go back to bed, 2:00. My alarm will go off in three hours. I’m going to be tired, but I am prepared to do this.
It’s time
My alarm just went off. It’s time to crawl out of bed. I think I’m awake, but I’m very groggy. “It’s just going to take time to adjust,” I tell myself. Time to get up and get something done.
I drag myself into the kitchen. “Can I have breakfast?” I hear. Sure enough, one of the kids is up. As I pour a bowl of cereal, I think about how tired I am. My brain is fuzzy and there is no productive, quiet time to be had.
Will it work?
Are the experts all wrong, or is it just me? Neither. An extra hour of quiet in the morning would be helpful, if it followed a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, as a parent, that isn’t likely to happen. Kids don’t follow the schedule the experts lay out.
This is normal
Being exhausted from lack of sleep, frustrated with the kids who kept you awake, and feeling like you just can’t get it all done, is normal. There is no perfect solution because no family is perfect. You have to come up with your own secret to working from home with kids, and accept that some things won’t get done, and that’s okay.
Go easy on yourself, as you seek out your new pattern to life. Be willing to adapt to life as it happens and don’t expect to be able to do it all.
One day, you will have it all figured out, but by then the kids will all be grown. Until then, enjoy the life you have now.
