Office job + Feb Review : The Pathetic Attempts of Seana Lucy Smith Trying To Stay Calm In A World That Has Something Against Her : Week 8

I love the introduction to the book ‘Yes, Your Teenager Is Crazy.’

It’s the ‘allowing no rage from yourself in response’ bit that gets me. It’s so very bloody crucial to stay calm when your children are not.

Let me say that I’m really grateful that I haven’t had to deal with enraged children in the last week, not seriously enraged ones. Some bairns can get antsy and loud when they can’t find a pencil, but we’ll brush that under the carpet for now.

Grateful for these small mercies, and mini victories, in motherhood.

The Office Job – And What I’ve Learned

Last year I started working two days a week at Autism Spectrum Australia. Myself and Vicki Gibbs, a psychologist, have been making a website for young people which will launch in early April for Autism Awareness day.

I hadn’t had a day job for 18 years – shocker! I’d barely stepped foot in an office for that long. It was an adjustment. Here are some lessons learned.

Takeaway pizzas are a very nutritious and balanced meal… well, only on days when you’ve been at work and feel exhausted and haven’t got anything ready for dinner by 6.30pm
If your child gets to school with no lunch/hat/homework/blazer… they just have to suck it up and face the consequences… this is good for them…
Teenagers can cook meals… they actually are capable… and I’d love to say mine are cooking weekly… mind you, there’s been a fair amount of passive aggressive behaviour, meals started very late or not made at all…
You get no more work done in real clothes than in your pyjamas… in fact, I sometimes think you may get more done in your pyjamas…
Even a part-time job can be a killer… I wouldn’t have believed that a two day a week job could have such a big impact
The biggest impact is on my social life, I’m used to meeting people for random coffees any day of the week – it’s been curtailed!
Flexibility is everything
You get no exercise whilst sitting at a desk…. on the days I am just in the office researching and writing, I am a sloth unless I force myself to move before or after… and that’s with a million trips to the kettle for a cuppa
Loneliness can disappear like a puff of smoke. I’d been dying of loneliness at home in the weeks my FIFO husband is away, and, just like that, the feeling went. Loving the regular adult company.
The design and photography course can wait….
It doesn’t matter which days are the office days, the last one of the week feels like Friday: uncontrollable urges to crack open a bottle of wine occur on Tuesdays too.

February Goals List Review

I am laughing so loudly as how little got ticked off!

Declutter my drawers and Ms8’s bedroom

– almost done, nearly there…. just a few boxes of odd socks and old dolly’s toys to go

Blog – two posts per week and 15 minutes a day on advertising

Done!

Exercise – no goals! Wear the Fitbit every day, as that always makes me take more exercise.

Good to not have goals, have done some swims, but I’m definitely over-eating and drinking though and feel all blobby. Need to swap some bad habits for good

Food – bake once a week, batch cook one day a week

– oops forgot this one ENTIRELY!!

Mental Health – go to at least one recovery meeting

– massive fail, I think I have a real mental block about this in fact