“I want Daddy all done working!”
One of the hardest things about working from home is juggling time between working and parenting.
Typically, I would carve out time to work when the kids are at school… I would have a solid 6 hours or so.
Or in the summer time, I would let them have fun all day at home or in the back yard while I worked on the computer.
But it’s been different lately… The whole world is different.
No school. Quarantined at home. Still having to do the school work.
Even though we aren’t at school, we still have “school” I’m the mornings.
And being home isn’t as “fun” as usual.
So Jonah has been a bit “off” lately.
He’s had to “zoom” with his teachers. He sees Jonny “zooming” with HIS teachers…
He has started associating lap tops with “work.”
And not only that, when I’m working, I’m spending time on my computer instead of with him.
So My lap top has become aversive to Jonah.
If he sees me on it, he will immediately try to engage with me to get me off it. and I can’t fault him for it.
I am usually really good about giving him quality time.
I spend most the day with my boys.
But my window for accomplishing daily work is about 3 hours a day now since I am teaching homeschool in the mornings.
It’s a lot to get done in not a lot of time, but definitely very doable for me.
It just makes it harder to multitask.
I’ve got family helping to take care of the kids while I’m working, and they’ve been a huge support.
But sometimes I still fall behind with my work.
…because Jonah will still come and find me while I’m working…
And he will say “I want daddy all done working.”
It stops me in my tracks.
I find myself remembering how far we have come with Jonah’s speaking abilities…
There was a time I would give anything to hear him say just ONE of those words.
It takes me back…
“I want…” (…”tell me what you need, Jojo”)
“Daddy…” (Jojo, what’s my name? Can you say ‘Dada? DA-da.”)
“All Done working.” (“You can say ‘all done’ Jojo instead of throwing [said object]”)
“I want Daddy all done working.”
😭
Work is… work. And I can do it later if I need to. Many times I do.
Because a job is a job… but we only get one chance to do this parenting thing right.
So when my son verbally tells me that he would like me to spend time with him…
I just can’t ever say “no” to that.