Raising A Baby Is A Full-Time Job

To set the scene: my husband and I were chatting over dinner about how I was feeling burnt out with everything going on, and at one point I said “I least when you go to work, you only have one job—I’ve got three.”

You see, I run my business out of my home. I also parent a toddler full-time. And due to the pandemic closures, I took on a day-job working from home. Don’t ask me why—I truly don’t know what I was thinking. So now I have three full-time jobs to do while my husband is working outside of the house as an essential worker. ⠀

Obviously he heard what he wanted to hear and took my statement to mean that he had it easy at his labourious job. “If you count by as a job then I can too.” Ugh. NOPE! Does he have it easy? No. Does he have it easiER? YES! Because when he goes to work, he has ONE job. I stay home and have THREE jobs to do. And yes, I include the baby as a job otherwise she would die (exaggeration, but true). I told him to imagine trying to do his job while watching little miss and he said he couldn’t—he wouldn’t be able to do half the things he needs to. Exactly! When he is home and on baby-duty while I work, absolutely that is your job—but again, your ONE job (no matter how hard she makes it that day).   ⠀

The pressure put upon work-from-home parents to simultaneously work the job AND take care of their child(ren) is insane. It is totally doable when you run your own business because you dictate when you work, how often you work, and turnaround times are adjusted accordingly (and I love doing it!). However, when an outside employer is dictating it all, with an impossible level of productivity given the cirumstances, it becomes such a heavy burden to carry. Especially now with all of the added stress, anxiety and responsibilities that the pandemic has brought to us. If you put too much weight on something, no matter how strong, it WILL break.    ⠀

What job(s) are YOU working from home these days?

stephanie de montigny SdeM handrawn initials ottawa blogger