Journey with You

I am going back to work next Friday. Cyrus is going to start his day care on Thursday.

Why start day care on Thursday? So I can see how he does at the day care. It’s a family group day care. People who run the day care are an old couple, Sharon and Mike. They seem very friendly and nice. Their place is very sunny and organized. There are a lot of toys for children. They take children out for a walk or let them play in the yard regularly. The most important thing is that they seem to know what they are doing and they don’t watch TV there. A couple of other places we’ve looked at play TV. I don’t want Cyrus to have that bad habit. Even an hour a day seems too much. Another good thing about this day care place is that they are only 5 minutes drive from my house. It would be quite convenient for me or DH to pick him up.

They usually take a nap between 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Cyrus nap schedule is not really like that now but Sharon reassured me that children adjust fairly quickly. I sure hope so. Another thing I am worried about is nursing. I’m still nursing and not planning on completely weaning. I won’t pump. He doesn’t take bottles anyway. But I want to nurse him in the morning, before he goes to day care, and then in the evening when we come home. I hope he will get used to that as well.

I feel sad that I can’t spend time with him at home anymore. However, I feel pretty excited about going back to work. I finally can “get paid.” I finally can add some new additions to my wardrobe, looking like a “woman” not just a “mom”. I know it’s going to be hard working and raising a child but nothing is going to be harder than being a full time mother: no pay, 24 hours, no break, and no appreciation.

I am so fed up with no appreciation part. I did all the grocery shopping and cooking but all I got is complaints about not reading the ingredients and not buying healthy enough food. After all these days looking after Cyrus, all I’ve got was “you don’t even know what your son wants to eat. He is too thin. I’ll have to cook if I don’t want him to starve” when Cyrus was being a picky eater and refused to eat what I’ve prepared for him.

Further more, they think a stay-home-mother simply sit around, having a good old time with a child. I mean, I need to get his meals ready, feed him, clean up, read to him, play with him, and trying to get somethings done while he naps. It’s meal time again before I realize it. DH always complains that I don’t know how to keep a house neat and clean. He complains that toys are everywhere. Hello, why should I keep putting things away if he is going to get them out in 5 minutes? Wouldn’t it make more sense to do it at the end of the day. I know the house looks clutter because of toys laying around. But what do you expect? You have a little child at home!

So to be honest. I am tired of being a stay home mother without having any appreciation. What could be worse than doing a 24/7 job without pay and no appreciation on top of it. Forget it! I think I better of being a working mom, at least I will get paid and be financially independent.