The 15 Minute Rule

Whoever talks about "balancing" work and kids is lying, and should immediately be slapped with a wet diaper.  There's no such thing as balance.  It's more like prioritizing and re-prioritizing your life. At times, work will take the lead (like when the dreaded property taxes are due on April 10th and you have to work overtime to come up with thousands of "extra" dollars). At other times, kids will take the lead (like when a school project is due that only someone with a PhD in engineering could possibly complete by the deadline). And at still other times, very very rarely, YOU will actually be first and foremost in the hierarchy (like when...like when...Oh, I don't know, you'll have to give me an example).

 

And with two kids, the struggle is compounded. Two kids is double the struggle, right? Uh, no. Funny thing is, the issues and worries and struggles aren't doubled with two kids. Two kids doesn't mean twice the money, worry or time.  It's quadrupled. The money required for diapers, and food, and daycare/nanny/babysitter, and cute clothes and shoes, and activities, and doctor co-pays for all those freakin' vaccinations...the time required for disciplining and sleep training and teaching that every color is not called "green..."  Yea, the good times are multiplied too, the laughter, the giggles, the "firsts", yada yada yada, blah blah. But, I'm not trying to be sappy and sentimental this time around.  I'm trying to vent, thank you very much.

 

Another thing about having a second kid - during my calmer one-child days, I would laugh at the mothers who would lament about the poor second child, who didn't get as many photos taken as the first kid, who didn't get coddled over every scraped knee or taken to the emergency room with every fever over 100.  Certainly I would take 1000 photos of MY second kid during her first month of life, because I am attentive and doting and Stepford Wife perfect.

 

Well, folks may have lied about that whole "balancing" life thing, but they certainly weren't exaggerating about how much less anal more relaxed you become with your second child.

 

Which is why my second kid was allowed to do this, just so that I could have 15 freakin' minutes to clean my kitchen...

Yep.  You know that "5-second rule" you have about letting them eat food off the floor?  It turns into a 15 minute rule with that second child. Nothing buys you time like letting them scatter Goldfish across the floor). Don't worry. The floor was clean. Well, as clean as it can be with a toddler.

 

 

 

Comments

[kia bia]

not YOU, DOC NINA!!! YOU let that baby eat off the floor :-)?!?!? seriously, you're scaring me about jumping into the land of two babies! the closer the time comes to "get busy", the more nervous i get about what comes next... thanks. j/k -- sorta.

[Bonnie]

I couldn't help but nod my head in an approving manner while I read this entire entry!!

[Nicole]

Wow!!! The reality of having two children. My first son is 10 months old, and already baby #2 is on the way. I believe anyone with two kids will definitely understand why your daughter is eating off the floor. I sometimes find myself overwhelmed and exhausted, so I allow my son 5 minutes of "free time" just so I can relax my swollen feet. *Sigh* Motherhood, it's so amazing, but difficult at times.

[Alexa]

At least I know its not just me trying to catch up every day. Some days I feel as if I will never ever catch up. I now remember the days in my young teenage years when I said I had no time. What was I thinking. I didnt know what busy was. Playing Mommy for two, full time working mommy, full time wife, housekeeper, side hobby of making gift arrangements and all the little issue that pile up with time make me wonder what watching a full movie with no interruptions would feel like again.

[Cassandra]

LOL! My second is only 4 months so I am still adjusting to having 2 kids but I so agree with you! Great post!