I really cannot think of a job better than Stay Home Mum. Or Home Maker. Or House Wife. Or whatever fancy name you want to give it. Afterall, the scope of this dream job revolves around sleeping in until 9am every morning, watching tv, having morning tea in front of the tv, eating out, having afternoon naps, going for walks in the park, hanging out with other mums and doing whatever you want basically. Doesn’t it? Or does it?!??? Well, that seems to be what many people (husbands, especially) assume stayhome mums do.
Dream jobs and sarcasm aside… every mom needs a break. I have been needing a break. No, not a fake break. Like when the baby is having a nap. That is a fake break. Because I might only get to paint my left toe nails or take 2 sips of my tea before the baby decides to wake up again. That, my friend, is a fake break. A ploy crafted by deceivingly innocent baby minds. So I refuse to accept that when my husband says “But you get a break when the baby naps, don’t you?”. Fake breaks are what they are, mate.
So I very proudly announce that after countless meetings, propositions and discussions with their dad, my kids are finally going to daycare/afterschool care one day a week now every Monday. It has been a long time coming.
I will not even dare to mumble that I have it hard as a mom. I really don’t. I have seen the gigantic piles of washing of a woman with 6 young home-schooled kids (for me, those words put together just spell nightmare!). Or a dear friend of mine who has a baby and a toddler. Those are the really brave women warriors who really need their breaks.
Maybe I am a lower-ranked warrior in this aspect. Heck, I shall willingly admit it. I am blessed enough to have a really well-behaved and obedient school-going child and a healthy (though fierce and tantrum-prone) baby. The stakes aren’t really all that high. My duties and sacrifices aren’t all that bad. But even a lower-ranked warrior needs her break.
Yesterday was the first of my permanent weekly breaks. Nothing fancy happened. Except that I shall admit I did jump out of bed really early with the kind of exceptional, miraculous energy and gusto never before seen in the last few years of my life, keen to just get the heck out of the house and dump the kids at their respective holding places for the day.
I got to go to Maccas for breakfast and what a luxury that was. No screaming baby to placate, no wistful life questions to answer for child. Just me and mah bagel and hash brown. Nothin’ else in between us.
And then Husband and I went to play Aqua Golf. Well, mostly he did.
Then we had lunch and walked around for a bit. Then I got to paint my toe nails. Finally. Both feet. No baby cry, nothing. Just me taking my time. I got to have a long, hot shower too. No rushing, no imaginary “I swear I can hear the baby crying” cries.
And that was that. Husband had to have a nap to prepare for night shift and life was back to normal for me again. Nothing fancy but I am sure any mom can appreciate how much those simple activities actually mean when you have babies/kids around all the time.
I was going to make this post about my baby’s first day at daycare but then I decided that I will mumble on about me instead. Because Monday is my day now. Monday is not really Mummy day anymore though alright, I am kind enough to still be open to changing a couple of diapers and feeding dinner. Monday is Mandy day. And I think it is okay and nothing to feel guilty about. For even a lower-ranked warrior needs her break! I think it benefits everyone when Mum is happy and well-rested!
Do you get a break too? Or if you desperately need one, don’t be disheartened, your time will come!
Linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT!
