I get asked a lot by family and friends how I balance my life as a SAHM one week and a full time RN the next week. Just a little background, I work 7 on 7 off (night shift) as an RN for the last 4 1/2 years. I love my job and what I do. It is one of the most rewarding jobs, besides being a mother, that I could never see myself giving it up. Right now night shift works best for my family and I get to see my son and husband the most with this particular schedule. I will admit it's VERY difficult at times and there are days that I don't sleep as well as others. But really, what mother doesn't?
I will admit that the first 18 months after Bryson was born were extremely difficult. I give a lot of credit to our families who helped us out and are still able to help out to this day. You might ask why we chose not to put Bryson in daycare? Well, financially it wasn't the best option for our family at the time. And not to mention I love spending time with him on my week off and I couldn't see paying the $$$ for him to go only part time. I do feel like it's important for Bryson to be around other children his age, so in February of last year we decided to make a few sacrifices and get him into our churches Mother's Day Out Program. Y'all this has been one of the best decisions we have made! He has grown so much and literally "loves" going to school! And this also gives me a few hours in the day for myself. Which I believe every mother needs!!!
So to break down my weeks... on my work week our families will take turns keeping Bryson on Tuesday - Friday during the day while Clay is in school. He's in the process of graduating from college in May. YAY!!! This also allows me to sleep as much as I can during the day. On the two days that Bryson has MDO, Clay has him ready for school so that when I get home I can take him to school and then whoever is keeping him that day will go and pick him up.
Just last week a few of my co-workers found out that I cook about 3-5 nights out of my 7 that I work. During my work week I try and make meals that we can have leftovers for the next day. This keeps me from having to get up an hour or two early to prepare/fix dinner. And I have found that this also gives me more time to spend with Clay and Bryson.
This past year I discovered Erin's (from Blue-Eyed Bride) post on her
home organization notebook. Y'all this has been a lifesaver and has helped me more than I thought it would! The meal planning section is by far my favorite section. My notebook helps me stay on track with all that I have going on during the week. For the longest time I felt like our life was a little chaotic. But now that I have designated days for laundry and have my meals planned out in advance I don't seem as overwhelmed. Whether you work full time or are a SAHM I highly recommend creating your own notebook.
Ever since we brought Bryson home from the hospital we have had him on a bedtime routine. Now there are a few special occasions where it might vary, but it's important that I have him in the bed by 8 or 8:30. This way I am able to spend about 2 hours with Clay before I go to work. As husband and wife I cannot stress the importance of spending time with one another. We implemented a no electronics rule during this time so that we can focus on each other. I will say that this has helped our marriage tremendously!
So that is a typical work week for me. Like I said, we are so thankful to our families for what they have done for us. We are extremely blessed to have them so close by and that they are willing to help out so much.
During my week off it can be just as stressful at times. I am just like any other SAHM during my week off. I take Bryson to school and pick him up. On the days he's in school I will take one of those days to do my grocery shopping and run any other errands that I can get done during that time. Whatever chores I didn't get around to on my work week, I will finish those up also. Sometimes I come home after taking him to school and chill out and catch up on my DVR. Those days are very few!
My meal plans are pretty much the same as they are on my work week. Sometimes we might take one night to go out to eat or go over to a friend's house for dinner. And Bryson's bedtime routine is also the same. Once a month Clay and I will have "date night." This could consist of going out to dinner or watching a movie and having popcorn at our house after we put Bryson to bed. Again, my marriage is a big priority!!!
Another great thing I get to do on my off week is meet up with my small group. We are about to start back this month. This is another thing as a mom and a woman that I feel is really important. Just getting out of the house for a few hours to talk to other moms and have some adult conversation can make the rest of your week so much better.
The most important things I try to do on both my work week and my off week is trying to stay consistent. I have found that consistency is what works for my family the best. Especially with Bryson. One thing I didn't address was what we do on Sunday's. On my work week it's really hard for me to get home and get ready in time for church, so Clay and Bryson will go without me on those weeks and then on my weeks off we go as a family. This is probably the one thing I do hate about my job.
With baby #2 on the way I have NO idea how life will be. That's another reason I didn't allow myself to get caught up in making any goals for this year. I do hope that in the near future I can decrease my days at work that way I can spend more time with my family. Life is short and I want to enjoy every moment that I can.
Well I hope there are a few things you can take away from my life as a full time RN and a SAHM. I love getting advice, so if you have tips or suggestions you would like to give, please fill me in! Us mom's have to stick together.
