Posted on 01/24/2010 7:42:49 PM PST by Lorianne
Last summer, my friend Vanessa handed in her notice at work. She did not have another job to go to, and unlike thousands of people around the country, she wasn't made redundant.
In fact, the online marketing company she worked for was thriving. And that was the problem. She was too busy and, at the grand old age of 34, she decided she could no longer be bothered to be busy.
Vanessa is not alone. I can think of five close friends who have either quit their jobs or gone part-time in the past two years - and only one of them has children. For years, the only reason women would take a step back from their career was to raise a family, but my friends are getting off the treadmill before then.
A new book called 30-Something And Over It - What Happens When You Wake Up One Morning And Don't Want To Go To Work. . . Ever Again sums up the mood.
Its author, Kasey Edwards, was a high-flying management consultant earning a huge salary and living in a penthouse apartment with her successful boyfriend - until one day she realised her life had lost its 'zing'. 'Have you ever woken up and realised that you didn't want to go to work?' she asks.
'I don't mean you had a big night and you'd prefer to sleep in, or it's a nice day and you'd rather take your dog to the park instead. I'm talking about being over it.
'Completely and utterly over it. Sure, you might have a gold card, but you've maxed it out buying things you can't afford and that you don't even need, trying to fill a void that just can't be filled. You numb your discontentment every night with gin and tonics.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Aint that the truth, though? I went back two years ago. By the time I got home form work, took the kids to whatever lesson or sports thing they had going on that day, threw a load of wash in, made some dinner...it would be 9:30 before I got a chance to sit down and take a peek online or catch some brainless TV to unwind. And even then, I had to do my nails for the next day or read up something work related. By that time, my husband already had a good three hours "in his chair". I actually had a decent job with decent hours (9-4) and it was still overkill.
I don't know how some women do it.
Words never uttered from my mouth. LOL.
I also have friends who complain that their husbands work too much. I never got that one either.
Seems to me he understands perfectly. These women simply can’t hack it, simply don’t have the stamina and drive of men. It’s obvious. Please don’t try the “you just don’t understand me, my issues are so deep” approach...it’s irritating as heck even in a teenager, let alone overgrown girlies acting like teens.
:You probably don’t have to clean toilets, take out the trash, mop the floors, etc”
Toilets are done once a week generally, trash doesn’t always go out everyday and floors aren’t mopped everyday. Plus, a few kids around the house who are of age can be tapped to do those things.
Have you ever taken care of a house.
Let’s add a few more things: cooking/cleaning the kitchen 3 times a day, grocery shopping, tons of laundry, dusting, filing, clean showers/bathtubs,
If there are older kids, they are at school most of the day, and when they are home they are doing homework. You may be able to count on them to load the dishwasher or take out the trash, but that’s about it.
Also if kids are in school, then you are spending a good portion of the day driving them to/from school and then to after school activities.
What I really love is the juggle of getting dinner done, and helping with homework all at the same time.
I work a lot harder as a mom of 3 kids then I ever did as an engineer for a defense contractor.
I don’t know how women work and take care of kids. I’ve already been up several hours and taken kids to school, gotten a load of laundry in the was and did a few other things around the house.
I take about an hour in the morning to read the news and relax before doing the rest of my activities. If I was working, I wouldn’t have that time.
My kids are 13 & 15. At this point, I think I could manage to work about 2 hours a day outside the home. However, it would be very difficult to find a job where I could do that.
That also changes if the kids get sick. In Nov/Dec, I had one of my kids sick at home for about a month total.
My wife works, I take care of the kids after school when I get up. I work nights as an ICU RN 48 to 60 hours a week. I cook dinner 5 nights aweek, plus I’m expected to fix computers, cars, and get the kids to their appointments, ect. My job entails cleaning more “adults’ behinds” then I ever did with my kids...(and helped with my kids’s diapers as well). So yeah, I know what it is like to clean the house and take care of kids...and up to 3-9 adults all night!
Super! Here's wishing blessings to her for a safe delivery.
I don’t know too many women who sit around watching soap operas and going window shopping. I know women who take afternoon naps, but that’s usually because they have young kids and have been running around a lot (or up at night).
Most women I know are extremely busy. This is the first year in 15 years where I haven’t done as much at home, but that’s because I fell in April and I have been dealing with a hip injury. I can’t be on my feet much these days.
I know that men do lots of work, but I think they get recognized for it more (raises, bonuses, rewards) at work. I don’t think stay-at-home moms get many outside rewards. Many husbands forget to say thank you or tell women they are doing an awesome job. Stay-at-home moms don’t get raises or bonuses, and it can sometimes be very overwhelming and lonely.
So you do agree with me you’er both Jack asses.
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