Lull

I seem to always be complaining that I have too much work or not enough work. Surely I sometimes have exactly the right amount of work, no? In any event, right now I have absolutely no work, and that feels just fine to me. I'm sure I'll start panicking if something doesn't come along in the next week or so, but for now I'm enjoying the break. This work lull coincides with the start of school, and I'm welcoming the chance to check off all those very glamorous things on my To-Do list like "return socks to Target," "make appointment for Honda servicing," and "buy water filter for fridge."

(By the way, when I say I have "no work," that doesn't include the bookkeeping I do in Charlestown about once a week—that's ongoing. By "work" I mean editorial projects.)

Things got a little out of hand toward the end of the summer, with Steph in the hospital and me with a bunch of deadlines and then trying to quickly cobble together some family vacation time before it was too late. I let a lot of household stuff slide that I'm just now attending to. Between all the backed-up errands (Pete and Julie need new soccer cleats!) and phone calls (time to schedule the cats' annual checkup!) and paperwork (all those emergency contact forms for school and Hebrew school!) and housework (Steph's camp sheets and towels are all laundered but still sitting in piles in the hallway!), and then all the day-in/day-out responsibilities (dinner! bills! laundry!), and then the volunteer stuff at the schools (library and Safe Arrival!), I'm finding myself plenty busy. But I do always wonder what the non-working moms who aren't so backed up and who perhaps don't volunteer quite so much do all day. I know that a lot of them exercise, but surely not 4 or 6 hours a day, right? And are their houses that much cleaner and more organized than mine? Are their dinners that much more elaborate? I expect that if, when I'm all caught up on household stuff, I still don't have much work going on, I'll sort of be looking for ways to occupy my time. Even I can't imagine reading and playing Scrabble all day.

Comments

[raych]

I read somewhere that working moms do the same amount of housework as non-working moms, they just do it in less time. Also, they tend to not be as invested in the state of their house because it isn't the 'only' thing they're doing all day.

[Elena]

I don't think any moms--working or nonworking--ever totally catch up!

[Jeananne]

K ... after viewing the video in the post following this one, umm, have you ever considered running for office?

[nancy]

I have been a SAHM for a while and am starting to be a WAHM but I disagree that any moms are "non-working".

[Karen]

Of course -- by "working" you know that I mean "working at a job in addition to caring for children." Certainly Mom 1, who cares for her children, and Mom 2, who cares for her children AND has a job, have different amounts of time, energy, and attention for each. When I'm in between work projects, I have more time to do things for and with my children than when I'm working on a deadline.

[Karen]

Jeananne -- I'm not THAT crazy!!