My question is to every working parent: how much time do you spend with your kids?
After coming back to work for just a week, I have begun to realise that I will be spending a lot less time with my beautiful Chhori. It makes me really sad and I can completely understand why many mums choose to stay home or work part time after a baby.
I know I am very lucky to have been able to spend a year with her at home and I did enjoy every moment of it. But now that am back at work, I only see her for around 30 minutes in the morning while I am getting ready for work and around 2 hours once I get back home before she goes to bed.
So every workday, I have around 2.5 hours with her which will include me cooking meals, cleaning afterwards and doing household chores as well. So weekends are going to be very precious now.
I guess she has started to understand that I will be leaving her at home so in the mornings once she is awake all she wants is for me to hold her. So I brush my teeth, comb my hair and get dressed holding her. I want to feed her breakfast before I leave but it is not possible every day. If I leave late then I will get home late as well. I hate making these choices and I really think parents should not have to make choices like this in life.
I have a very supportive husband and he helps around a lot but I still feel really wretched that I have to compromise so much in life. I guess I will get used to the idea after a while but for now it hurts so much to be away from my little girl.
I don’t know how to improve and utilise my time better when I am with her so any suggestion is very welcome. How do you manage your time so you can spend more quality time with your little one? Are there any tips or tricks that I can use to make both of us happy? Every suggestion and advice will be much appreciated.
Take care everyone,
M from nepaliaustralian
XOXO
nepaliaustralian 
I went through exact same experience..I had a wonderful year off with my son but then had to return to work and keep him in daycare..it was absolutely heart wrenching to leave him at day care..as he would cry all day. I would be in tears almost everyday when I left him there. When I went to pick him up, his eyes would be all puffy and red..seeing him like that I was heart broken..I didn’t want to work. If I had a choice, I would want to be stay at home mom to look after him full time. I started return to work as part time for 9 months after returning from mat leave. It took toil on our finances but we made a conscious choice to sacrifice few luxuries and cut back on necessities to spend more time with him.
What I can suggest is, can you make an arrangement to work from home with your employer, even 1 day a week? Another option would be working longer hours to accrue overtime and then take a flex day off every fortnight. To spend more time with chhori, maybe you cook a meal that will last for 2-3 days in the freeze so you don’t spend time cooking everyday (except for rice as you can just use rice cooker). Also buy a dishwasher if you don’t have one so you don’t have to spend time washing dishes..I do hope these tips will help. I can completely understand how you feel. Being a working mom sucks especially first few years until they go to school..Hang in there, it will get better.
Every working mum is in the same boat balancing being mum and working at the same time. Thank you for so many suggestions and tips. I am lucky that my mum cooks for us often and it helps me spend more time with Chhori. I am planning to do 4 days a week once my parents goes back to Nepal and she starts childcare. Let’s see how that works out.
Yes definitely dishwasher was a life saver
How are you going with your bub? How is life after being mum? I meant to ask you, where about in Sydney are you?
My friends who have a baby hired someone to cook and clean home – that itself will free up a lot of your time.
That is a good idea but living in Australia that is not sound financially. In Nepal, my sisters and cousins all have that facility and some even have live in nanny who not only look after baby but does cleaning and cooking too. Sometime I think I might be in wrong country 😦
Aah.. i get it totally. . But, I live in usa.. my friends hire someone for just 2-3 hrs a day or thrice a week or so to come help with cooking and cleaning and it is not that expensive. . .. did u check on indian/ Nepali websites in Australia?
On very busy days my wife has only one hour per day with our son. I have several hours more with Nathan but it never goes beyond 3-4 hours with him
Your son is very lucky to have both of you around for sure 🙂
I am going through these same feelings for a while now and my son isn’t even one year old. I hate hate hate going to work :((
I have in that boat right now and I hope I will be fine in few weeks :(. How are you doing these days?
Still the same 😦 waiting for parents now who will be here soon
Good question…..
It is so hard to be a working mother! My previous job left me with very little time for my girls. My advice would be to do your housekeeping after she has gone to bed. It’s not fun to do it layer in the evening like that, but I’m sure you’d rather hold her than wash dishes. 🙂 Good luck!
It is so true. I didn’t realise before I had a baby. Thank you so much for all your ideas, I am sure it will help 🙂
I know coming home to your daughter, Chhori ♡ means you switch gears and become re-energized. Good Mommy who you are will always have time for a game, book, cozy and cuddling times. Hugs, Robin
Thank you Robin, I am trying my best. It breaks my heart when I see her cry when I leave 😦
You’re doing great. How many mothers can get ready for work while holding a baby on their hip? You can 🙂
Thank you so much dear 🙂