It's been a while since I posted here, due to lack of time in the past few weeks mostly, but time is coming back on my side! Spring has finally made itself felt in my cold corner of Québec and snow is actually melting!
What are the things Springs brings my way?
Connor and Deirdre just started a new daycare together.
Lee is starting a new client search campaign for his business he thought he was going to quit
I queued and downloaded at least a dozen knitting patterns on Ravelry
I am looking for a transfer from my department to another one
I feel the need to clean the house top to bottom...and get rid of A LOT of junk
I am about to have much more time to sew cloth diapers
I put the first load of freshly laundered diapers on the drying rack Outside to dry!
Connor is become a nicer and more polite little boy every day, helping his baby sister do all sorts of things!
Deirdre is almost walking already!
And with Spring, a new fresh start to this blog is about to begin!
Don't worry, I know I promised a picture of Daddy's hat...it will come!
Showing posts with label maternity leave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maternity leave. Show all posts
Monday, March 12, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Bettering babying starts by bettering Mommy
I realized by going through my blog that I was loosing track of the most important part of bettering my motherhood experience and my children's everyday life; bettering myself!
When we step back and look at what needs improvement from a different perspective, we often find the culprit is not the kids, the house, time, or lack of sleep, but actually, our own mental conditioning of the situation. I was contemplating my return to work with an awful taste in my mouth thinking housekeeping is already a disaster now and I am at home all the time, what is it going to be when I go back to work?
Well, it will be neglected a bit then sure, but NOW, there is no reason...only all the excuses I tell myself every day not to do it : I'm too tired, I need a break, Deirdre is too clingy, I don't feel like it, I'll have a coffee first....all that to procrastinate, and procrastinate over and over until the house can walk on its own and kids can't move through the clutter...OK, it never gets that bad, but you see what I mean.
So the first step to making things better, doing things better, is to talk to myself and rid my mind of those excuses. Better myself first. Make myself feel better, less depressed, more positive, and make it enjoyable somehow.
So, lets start with convincing myself that folding laundry is fun, and Deirdre is independent enough to let me do it.
Lets convince myself that cleaning the kitchen is fun,
That doing laundry doesn't need my attention too much
That cleaning the floor will bring a fresh smell to the house
That tidying the living room will bring me a sense of accomplishment...And Connor can help, he's big enough!
Changing one's perspective on things can bring lots of good...but can also be a real challenge, if like me, you are very rooted in your bad habits and thoughts...but the will to change is the beginning of change, right?
When we step back and look at what needs improvement from a different perspective, we often find the culprit is not the kids, the house, time, or lack of sleep, but actually, our own mental conditioning of the situation. I was contemplating my return to work with an awful taste in my mouth thinking housekeeping is already a disaster now and I am at home all the time, what is it going to be when I go back to work?
Well, it will be neglected a bit then sure, but NOW, there is no reason...only all the excuses I tell myself every day not to do it : I'm too tired, I need a break, Deirdre is too clingy, I don't feel like it, I'll have a coffee first....all that to procrastinate, and procrastinate over and over until the house can walk on its own and kids can't move through the clutter...OK, it never gets that bad, but you see what I mean.
So the first step to making things better, doing things better, is to talk to myself and rid my mind of those excuses. Better myself first. Make myself feel better, less depressed, more positive, and make it enjoyable somehow.
So, lets start with convincing myself that folding laundry is fun, and Deirdre is independent enough to let me do it.
Lets convince myself that cleaning the kitchen is fun,
That doing laundry doesn't need my attention too much
That cleaning the floor will bring a fresh smell to the house
That tidying the living room will bring me a sense of accomplishment...And Connor can help, he's big enough!
Changing one's perspective on things can bring lots of good...but can also be a real challenge, if like me, you are very rooted in your bad habits and thoughts...but the will to change is the beginning of change, right?
Saturday, February 11, 2012
My big fear...back to work...coming too soon!
Who wants to go back to work after 50 weeks of Mat Leave? Not me! Unlike many people, I despise our society when it comes to family values! Maybe it's because of some bad experiences at work, or because my own values changed drastically when my son was born, but looking at some statistics found online (See the Work and Family Foundation of Canada), I don't think I am the only one.
My view on certain issues regarding working and raising a family took a drastic change when my first Maternity Leave came to an end. Connor was 10 months old, and that very Monday in October, he had kept us up all night with Croup Cough, been to the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario the day before, and had to go back that same evening. All my colleagues were either sick or on vacation and I had to do literally everything at the office, by myself, on my first day after being gone for 50 weeks. And not to mention I was 6 weeks pregnant with Deirdre. It didn't start very well! And that entire week was hell, with Connor sick, and little chances of taking time off. I burned myself out right then and there.
My department advertises itself as offering flexible work schedules...but in my case, I had to fight to move my shift from 9 to 5, down to 8 to 4...and even that was not working for me. Never would my manager have allowed me to do some Telework, but some of his favourite little puppets were allowed.
My situation is far from being that isolated. Many people face similar issues when working whilst having to care for pre-school age children. I hear sometimes of countries where parental leave is 5 years! If that is paid decently, that should be the case EVERYWHERE! How I wish Canada was one of those countries. Or at least, that a mother coming back to work be given a gradual return, telework opportunities, reduced hours, real flexible schedules, more family related leave to care for kids too ill to go to daycare...and even better, you should have a real good subvention to be a stay at home parent.
I believe in this day an age, there should be more options in terms of work schedules. Why would 40 hours a week be suitable for every one? Its not suitable for me! Ideally, I would not start work before 9:00 am and would be back home by 4:00 pm. And that, Monday to Thursday. Two day weekends when you miss your kids is not long enough.
Also, I would make it so working while pregnant would be only by personal choice, not by financial necessity. I worked up till I was 33 weeks pregnant and had to start Mat Leave due to physical, mental and emotional exhaustion...and guess what, I got myself a nice little "postpartum depression" afterwards. Thanks Society, I really needed that!
I calculated for one day, how a normal work day is divided in North America:
8 hours of sleep
8 hours at work with strangers not related to you.
2 hours to commute from home to work and vice versa (including dropping kids off at daycare)
1 hour for errands and other chores
2 hours for eating meals
1 hour for preparing meals
2 hours for personal time (that means to play with your kids and to relax yourself...)
And than you wonder why people sacrifice hours of sleep to have more time for themselves...and sacrifice meal time, meal preparation, chores, to spend more time with kids.
And then you wonder why people are sleep deprived, suffer from burn outs, chronic fatigue...
Really, where is our society going you think?
My view on certain issues regarding working and raising a family took a drastic change when my first Maternity Leave came to an end. Connor was 10 months old, and that very Monday in October, he had kept us up all night with Croup Cough, been to the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario the day before, and had to go back that same evening. All my colleagues were either sick or on vacation and I had to do literally everything at the office, by myself, on my first day after being gone for 50 weeks. And not to mention I was 6 weeks pregnant with Deirdre. It didn't start very well! And that entire week was hell, with Connor sick, and little chances of taking time off. I burned myself out right then and there.
My department advertises itself as offering flexible work schedules...but in my case, I had to fight to move my shift from 9 to 5, down to 8 to 4...and even that was not working for me. Never would my manager have allowed me to do some Telework, but some of his favourite little puppets were allowed.
My situation is far from being that isolated. Many people face similar issues when working whilst having to care for pre-school age children. I hear sometimes of countries where parental leave is 5 years! If that is paid decently, that should be the case EVERYWHERE! How I wish Canada was one of those countries. Or at least, that a mother coming back to work be given a gradual return, telework opportunities, reduced hours, real flexible schedules, more family related leave to care for kids too ill to go to daycare...and even better, you should have a real good subvention to be a stay at home parent.
I believe in this day an age, there should be more options in terms of work schedules. Why would 40 hours a week be suitable for every one? Its not suitable for me! Ideally, I would not start work before 9:00 am and would be back home by 4:00 pm. And that, Monday to Thursday. Two day weekends when you miss your kids is not long enough.
Also, I would make it so working while pregnant would be only by personal choice, not by financial necessity. I worked up till I was 33 weeks pregnant and had to start Mat Leave due to physical, mental and emotional exhaustion...and guess what, I got myself a nice little "postpartum depression" afterwards. Thanks Society, I really needed that!
I calculated for one day, how a normal work day is divided in North America:
8 hours of sleep
8 hours at work with strangers not related to you.
2 hours to commute from home to work and vice versa (including dropping kids off at daycare)
1 hour for errands and other chores
2 hours for eating meals
1 hour for preparing meals
2 hours for personal time (that means to play with your kids and to relax yourself...)
And than you wonder why people sacrifice hours of sleep to have more time for themselves...and sacrifice meal time, meal preparation, chores, to spend more time with kids.
And then you wonder why people are sleep deprived, suffer from burn outs, chronic fatigue...
Really, where is our society going you think?
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