(Yet) another working mom crazy day
Let’s face it: sometime it is very hard to survive until the end of the day. As every working mom has already experienced, there are some days where the universe is simply not helping us, AT ALL.
This is for all the mums that have had a bad day and had to manage it all alone. You are not the only one!
Figure this out:
7.06 : My little boy comes into my bed asking for breakfast. My husband is already under the shower. I open one eye and look at his smiling beautiful face and my day starts.
7.15: Trying my best to wake up and get up after an intense evening. Little boy begins to be restless, husband rushing out to catch the train for a business trip, I will see him only this evening after 10 pm.
7.32. Breakfast on the table and I go for my makeup routine.
8.03 : Almost ready to go to day care. I notice one eye on my little boy is slightly red, but he is not complaining. I put on his jacket and shoes, grab all 3 bags (my laptop bag, my handbag, my son´s bag with his clothes and rain boots), take umbrella, grab my child on my arm and rush down the stairs. Today I have an important meeting and I have to be on time.
8.12 : I leave the child at day care. He waves and goes to play with his friends.
8.50: At my desk with a coffee (the first of the day) checking emails and preparing for the meeting.
9.00: Meeting starts. Lively discussion, very interesting insights, my note book is full of notes.
10.46: I notice a missed call from my son´s day care. Stress levels increase. I move out of the meeting room and call back. My son has a very red eye and he is not feeling well. They say I have to take him back home. I evaluate my options for a moment. My husband is on a business trip so he cannot pick him up. I’m in an important meeting and cannot really leave right now. My nanny should be available.
10.49: I call the nanny, she can help.
10.52: I organize a last-minute visit to the pediatrician; the red eye could be an infection. I explain to my nanny what she has to do and call the day care back.
10.54: I check my calendar: I have 2 other important meetings in the afternoon, I have to decide what to do.
10.56: I send a text to my husband to let him know what has happened. Of course, those kinds of inconveniences ALWAYS happen when he is away and unable to help.
10.59: Back into the meeting room with my phone on the table.
11.23: The nanny sends me a text. Apparently, the eye is not that bad. My day care has a no illness policy and you have to pick up your child as soon as he develops any symptoms, no exceptions. A very good intent to protect all other children, but a cause for panic attacks, distress and lot of organizational problems for the parents. She goes directly to the pediatrician.
11.30: Meeting finished.
11.34: My phone rings, it is the pediatrician. My son has an eye infection, he needs antibiotic drops and has to stay at home the rest of the week because it could be contagious. I call the nanny. She will bring my child home and wait for me. She still says he is doing fine, no need to rush home.
11.46: I reschedule my afternoon meetings, decide to leave after my meeting at 2pm and check my private emails. My private email inbox explodes: there is some issue with the website and people cannot register for the next event I’m organizing with the PWG. I quickly scroll down the email list and check the headlines; all complaints about the system issue. I will reply this evening.
12.16: Lunch with my iPhone and I start to reply to the most urgent business emails. Quickly after, I inform my manager and colleagues that I’m going to leave earlier. I also say a silent thank you to my employer to have such flexibility.
14:00: Leave the office with my headset on and driving while participating in my 30 min teleconference.
14:37: I arrive at home. My son is sleeping like a little angel and I relax a little. The nanny is telling me what I have to do with the eye drops. I ask her to stay, I still have to work to do.
14.40: My afternoon of work continues with teleconferences, emails, and so on.
15:06: I hear my little boy laugh, he is doing fine. I relax completely and concentrate on my work again.
18:05: The nanny leaves, I start to prepare dinner. My son is feeling fine, the eye is not that red. While cooking I check my private emails and see the technical issue is solved but I still have to reply to a lot of people.
18:46: Eating dinner with my little boy, who is especially chatty, then spend some quality time with him.
20.46: Put him to bed.
20.50: Start checking and replying to my private emails.
22.07: My husband comes home. First thing he asks: How was your day? And I reply: fine… another crazy day as usual…