'Enjoy Your Day Off'

"Enjoy your day off" they chortled as they waved me out the office.

'Day off' I laughed to myself.

There is no such thing as a day off when you're looking after a toddler. In fact, a day caring for any small child is very much a 'day on'. But of course outsiders don't often see it that way, especially those without kids. 

A day where you've got the control over what you do is a leisure day - except no, it's not really, because if your toddler doesn't want to do what you want to do then you're not doing it, not peacefully anyway. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my non-working days with Albs, but it grates on me when people view it as 'time off', that it's somehow easier than going to work. Yes, it is a privilege to have one-on-one time to bond with my child but that time isn't just spent playing, watching Hey Duggee (new fave in our household, not just with Albie) or meeting up with other 'lucky' not-at-work folk and their offspring for coffee and a catch up. 

More often than not, my two days at home involve trying to catch up on the never-ending housework and life admin whilst simultaneously trying to care for, keep safe and stimulate a fearless child that has the attention span of a flea. It's a real balancing act.

And as with conventional work, there are both good and bad parenting days. There are often successful days, days that go without a single hiccup where I'll be revelling in my 'on point' parenting skills, longing to be at home with my beautiful, smiley boy every day.

But there are also days where I'm practically clawing at the font door, waiting for my husband to get in from work because I'm at my wits end with our angry, defiant toddler who has been determined to turn every simple task into a battle. Days where I'm covered in snot, banana mush and other unidentifiable stains. Days where I feel like an absolute fraud of a mum with no fucking clue what she's doing.

And this is why I think being a parent is often referred to as being the 'hardest job in the world', because it is so damn unpredictable. As soon as you think you've got it sussed, it's all change.

It's this level of unpredictability and uncertainty that stresses the point that having a day off with a young child is not a day off, you cannot simply switch off and relax. It may not be a job in the traditional sense but parenting is an extremely full on role. 

What do you think? is a day off work a day off regardless?

Until next time,

Albie's Mum