DISQUS

RBM · 11 months ago

great post. i work from home and up till the rest of the family arrives home. And when the kids burst through our doors it's on immediately. I have a difficult time transitioning too and have slowly been learning to identify when I need to step away or ask for a moment. I don't think I am very good at yet because I feel guilty bowing out of precious time with the kids, but i'm trying too. :)

Tinch72 · 11 months ago

I can related, although I don't work from home, i think it is the quiet days
in an office setting/home office that we get accustom to and then when the
excited kids arrive they want to tell us all about their day and speak at
100MPH and run around like lunatics. I'm getting used to the fact that they
are just very excited!

I feel the guilt sometimes as well...but I also feel that I need time to
unwind. I typically do that from 9pm until midnight. Blogging, Facebook and
whatnot.

Tyler @ Building Camelot · 11 months ago

I tell ya - our kids feed off of us more than we realize. I know that when I'm happy it seems like the whole house is happy. I know exactly how you feel about had kid duty @ the end of the day. I work less than 10 minutes away from they day care and I have morning AND afternoon/evening duty every single day!

It wears on me and I love it when the wife picks them up in the evening. She did last night and I was able to get home...start some laundry...start dinner etc. I felt great until my wife got home and she had a rough time picking up the girls. Then I felt bad and I probably should have picked them up. It was the first time she picked them up in a while and it backfired...

Tinch72 · 11 months ago

Thanks Tyler!

For some reason I like to get home first and tackle some of the house chores
myself! Maybe it's that I want to make sure things get done. or have a sense
of accomplishment!

good luck with you and your wife. You do need a break maybe one pickup or
dropoff a week! My wife has been doing both lately since 2 days a week I
consult at a client site. Other times I will take or pickup since I'm so
close!

daddybrain · 11 months ago

My commute is 45 minutes, in the dark during the winter months. Coupled with snow, ice and 18-wheelers that don't seem to slow down during a blizzard.

Needless to say, it is not a time I find relaxing. I can not decompress. Even on a good, clear night the drive takes a lot out of me.

I look forward to getting home to the boys and my lovely wife all day. And when I get there, I feel like all the life a has been sucked out of me. My wife needs a break (understandably), and the boys want to do everything together. Except that Max wants to do one thing, and Joss wants to do another.

I do my best to enjoy them, but my exhaustion is so overwhelming.

Another excellent post, man.

Peace,

babbo
www.daddybrain.wordpress.com

Tinch72 · 11 months ago

Babbo,
thanks for the great comment! appreciate your feedback and views!

water damage chicago · 11 months ago

Wow, that's awesome that you were able to find something that worked for you and the fam. I also work, but I have the benefit of working from home. Still, it gets difficult at times juggling the demands of a very active and lively 5-year-old son, dropping him off and picking him up at school, making dinner (or buying take-out), running errands, going to school for two classes, occasionally taking the hubby to work because we only have one car, and finding some "me" time to read a book or indulge in a video game.

The no-yelling part is the best :) I can't help it sometimes, but when I yell less or don't yell at all, it seems everything seems to go smoother.

Kudos to you!

Tinch72 · 11 months ago

yes, if I can not raise my voice everything falls into place. I'm trying to
get better and ignoring the not so good behaviors. My kids really are
good...i think I just want them to never do anything wrong. But that isn't
any fun for them!

Facebook User · 11 months ago

Testing Facebook Connect to leave comments

Shane · 11 months ago

Totally understand the relationship between commute, decompression and seeing the kids. I have about an hour and a half to decompress- better yet 50 minutes of that is spent on the train with all sorts of unsavory characters- talk about making your family look desirable. By the time I get home I'm frigggin overjoyed to be with them even if they whine, trash the house and bite the cat on occassion.

Coachdad · 11 months ago

Great post and I love your site. I am a single Dad who writes about my struggles of keeping it all together. I will be back again!

Tinch72 · 11 months ago

thanks man!! I'm gonna stop by your site. I can use other Dad's input from
time to time to learn what might work best in certain situations.