Is there anyone who'd like to share the trials and tribulations of working full-time?

[Ladylay]

I love perusing MN in my lunch-hour . But there dont seem to be any threads for those of us who are in full-time work whilst bringing up a family.

Whilst I share a load of the same concerns as SAHM's and part-time workers, I also have different stuff to deal with, like just trying to get everyone out the bloody house in the morning on time!! ahem. And wondered if anyone fancied comparing notes, advice etc?

And I think for me the hardest thing atm is that dh and I walk in in the evenings and it's loud and everyone wants our attention straight away.

Plus there are always still chores to be done when all I want to do is SIT DOWN and talk to dh.

Hello makemineawine, I do sympathise, it definitely gets easier once there is less waking up at night. It's good to have something other than work and children though, I have started doing a lot more crafty things since having my DSs which I was interested in before I had kids but didn't do a lot of. I think social networking can gobble time but it can be the only way to keep up with people. Have this and put your feet up!

Suzihaha glad you're having a good day, sunshine definitely helps doesn't it?

Wickedwaterwitch am about your after school nanny, sounds good! For me the mornings are SO busy that it is tough to just sit down and talk to DSs, and as they are quite small they go to bed soon after I get home - I miss just playing with them

Thank you abgirl - I'm actually having a large glass of wine just now with my feet up. I really do need to get a hobby of some sort though, I agree.

Hi, another ftimer here, with an even more ftime dh (he dies around 55 hrs per week) and we have an 18mo old ds. Oh, and no social life!

Glad to have found you all!

'does' - he doesn't die for 55 hours per week, every week

One way to get through it is to get in the midset that there is no such thing as full time... You will still be with your DC a lot of the time, and reassure yourself that when you are out bringing home the bacon, your DC is being well-looked after and stimulated by excellent childcare...

please tell me it gets infinitely easier when they sleep for more than 2 hours at time

Am job hunting atm, but there is a funding hold in the universities here so trying to not let my boss get to me. Which is surprisingly easy as he has avoided talking to me ever since I told him I was pg

But the sunshine is great, it's 21oC over here today, so was lying on the grass at lunchtime :) plus we took her to beach on the b'day last saturday.

Astro79 - the guilt gets better, ime, when they get to school age... then it is sort of the law that is keeping dc away from you (ie in school) for at least a good chunk of each work day.

still knackering though...and juggling holidays is such a logistical PITA and guilt-trip. Arrgh.

wait, i meant this to be a positive post!

DD 12 months goes to bed at 5pm so I miss the whole dinner, bath, although I feed her when I get in.

I would love her to have a later bedtime, but it's fair to force the issue and if that's her natural bedtime then so be it. Does add to the guilt though

Omfg is that really you www? How amazing! Did you buy a place in the end or stay where you were?

How lovely to see you!

HAving a lovely morning playing lego with DSs and ignoring a dirty bathroom, will post more later but nice to see some more FTimers...

Can I join pleeeeease?!

Am currently on maternity leave with dd3, 17 weeks, and have a 6 and a 4 yo. Worked ft with the older two and will have to go back sooner or later as we can't afford for me to stay at home. Although, I am stretching out this ML compared to the other two as this will probably be the last (unless I get DP drunk enough to agree to another and win the lottery so I can buy a bigger house!).

On a brighter note, I did get a flexible working request approved before I went on ML, which will allow me to work 3 days out of the office one week and two days the next. Should make life a lot easier with school commitments, childcare failures and illness .

Also, have two dogs. Luckily they are lazy whippets who are happy with one walk a day (and none if it's raining).

I should really be tidying up and sorting out dinner, but dd3 is asleep and I have a cold...

annie I always liked separating work and home (like getting changed as soon as I got in) but work crept into home with me doing more in the evening.

I'm hoping to be out before 8 in the morning as then I can get home by 5pm and play for a bit before bedtime. Downside is that I will have to work later in the evening but I think its a good compromise as I will have 1.5 hours with DCs in the morning (early risers here!) and two in the evening. Only problem will be if DD carries on not going to sleep which really eats into my evening.

bringinghomethebacon it's hard working full time, part time isn't it? I do a 9 day fortnight with a short friday every other week so I'll be able to do the school pick up each Friday. The trouble is that no one can ever remember whether I'm working or not (and to be fair I swap round all the time) so the Blackberry is my master!! How are you going to manage the hours in four days? Do you have to log hours or is it 'as required' (such a weasel way of putting it).

And as for feeding. All I can say is Thank God for school dinners...healthy meal at lunchtime allows for beans on toast for tea and no need for packed lunches

Morning all - just having a sneaky break from work. I find keeping the house even vaguely clean and tidy when DH is away is a battle that I am just not winning. This morning I dropped DD at nursery, went back home and vacuumed upstairs and cleaned the bathroom. This meant I got into work later than usual, so I will have to work after DD goes to bed this evening. DD hates the noise of the vaccum cleaner so I can't do any at the weekend or evenings.

Know what you mean Running. I'm afraid I'm learning to turn a blind eye to the state of the house until I can actually do something about it, although now the mornings and avenings are lighter its picking out all the dusty surfaces in their full glory!

Keep having to remind myself that its not my sole responsibility if its a mess.

annie with an evening schedule like that what do you pay your nanny for?! Def need to offlaod onto her the more crappy tasks IMO[WINK]!!

Hi, on my lunch so thought I pop on here. It sounds as though you are all so organised (and some v. early risers too!). DD was in with us again last night and so I had a bit of a restless sleep. Was hoping to get into work early but despite not having to get dd fed or ready this morning, I still only managed in 10 mins before I usually do.

I think I have it easier with only a baby to look after than some of you with older children.

DD is at a child minder 2.5 days a week and she seems to love it. My cm writes a diary of what they do each day so I can catch up with that when I get home from work and it makes me feel more involved.

Both dh and I have learned that early nights are essential for smooth mornings. DH, who is usually a night owl, has been going to bed at 9.30 some nights and it's really making a difference. Whereas before, we were both so tired, we could hardly be civil to eachother before 9am, if we get an early night each, we can be up at 7am chatting, getttng ready and playing with dd.

Happy to join in too! Work full-time and have 2 dds - 7 and 4, both now in full-time school. Did full-time nusery when both were small but when the eldest needed to go to school, we changed to a nanny who has now been with us for 2.5 years. Costs a bit though, but it's the only way things would work for us.

DH and I work hard (not suggesting that other people don't ) and take it in turns to either be at home with the dds in the mornings and until our nanny arrives or in the early evenings to put the dds to bed, so I will either work 9:45 to 18:00 or 08:00 to 16:00. This is not contracted though, but something i have worked out with my boss who is more interested in delivery than anything else, so that as long as I 'deliver' he doesn't really care how I do it and in what hours. We also do a fair bit of European and US based travel between us too which can make life interesting! We seem to be constantly on the phone juggling things to fit around the family. Both of us do manage to spend the odd day working at home though which helps and means we can still get involved in school type stuff. Nanny works 7:45 to 18:00 every day and does all the childrens laundry, school drop offs, after school clubs,etc. I also have a cleaner for 4 hours a week.

Now that both are at school, I'm contemplating the reduced hour nanny or a nanny / housekeeper / PA type of person to help us out. Even with the 'nursery' duties, there are large parts of the day that are free for our current nanny and I'm beginning to resent a little paying her for this free time.

In general though, I think I am more on a guilt trip nowadays than ever before and really believe the dds need me more now, particularly the eldest at the moment. Weekends are therefore always family time and do we stacks of stuff together - not trips as such, but just being out on bikes, running around the garden, swimming, etc.

That being said, as well as needing the cash financially - (unfortunately for me, I earn far more than dh) I do actually love my job - inspite of the 3 hour round trip commute everyday....