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Home > Need More Time (rather than more money) at the moment

Need More Time (rather than more money) at the moment

May 29th, 2014 at 10:03 am

Summer, for us, starts officially tomorrow at noon when F is out of school for the summer.

I have two big projects going on for the duration of the summer, and about three smaller ones. Also regular summer volunteer job (not that big of a thing, but something else to schedule in).

I need more time! I am insistent that F should have a real summer, and that we should spend time together because THAT is why I'm self-employed. It's mostly just bad timing, but I can't really control the timing of my projects, and I'll be making about half the money I'll make this year in the next two months. Most architects in our city don't have any work, so I am very thankful for the work (and they are really good projects!).

To calm myself, here are some of the things I am doing so that we can do all those summer things like go to the pool, play tennis at the park, get slushies, sit outside and eat popsicles, go on hikes...

1. F is in camp for five of the summer weeks (this is day or half-day camp so we have time after pick up to hang out, but I'll also have time to get work done.

2. I will continue getting up at 6:30 am and get about an hour of work done before F wakes up - her summer schedule is about an hour later (then we'll start the daily routine of breakfast, etc).

3. I have set up a few playdates in the next few weeks (F has no camp until mid-June). If a friend is over here, I can work while they play. If she is at a friend's house, I can go into the office.

4. I have made a detailed, day-by-day summer schedule on excel with three columns: Big Project 1, Big Project 2 and F. There should be a fourth column for other work, but that just needs to fit around the big projects.

5. I am not stressing about the volunteer thing, at least not now. I've contacted the organization to know I need more people in my area, and they don't seem stressed. I will put on my list to contact them again tomorrow to let them know what's up, but I have decided it's not up to me to find people to fill my schedule. I am in charge of one area, not all volunteers. The event is mid-July.

6. I will not work a shift at the volunteer event. My job is to coordinate other volunteers.

7. I will not stress about F's birthday party. I've chosen an easy, fun party. I just need to get a few supplies. Can do that this weekend.

8. There are things like buying cat food that need to be done. D has not volunteered. It will have to wait until the weekend, since I am committed to not taking valuable work time to do errands. F may go with me after the pool tomorrow, but Friday, when she is at a friend's house is work time.

9. I will make errands as easy on myself as possible. For example, stressed about the teacher gifts (class pools resources and gets a cashier check) earlier in the evening. I was going to take work time to go to the bank to get the cashiers check (they don't open until 9) and pop by school before pick up (because D is picking F up while I teach spinning). Instead, I'm stopping at the drive-through on the way to school because they are open earlier, and instead getting new crisp bills. The teachers, I've decided, won't care if it's a cashiers check or cash! Probably easier not to go to a bank to cash it!

10. I can't think of a tenth thing.

OK, I feel better. Going back to sleep now!

3 Responses to “Need More Time (rather than more money) at the moment”

  1. Carol Says:
    1401369112

    Sounds good. If DH doesn't volunteer for help you could use, could you just ask? Mine is agreeable, but needs to be asked, given a list, etc.

  2. ThriftoRama Says:
    1401374258

    Once again we live parallel lives. I'm also self employed and work from home. I think my kids are younger though (4 and 6). This is the first year I just decided what the heck. I'm not going to go broke finding nothing but camps and places to send them every week. I want us to relax and hang out at the pool and not always be running somewhere. And of course, as a freelancer, I usually have a lot of big projects each summer. This year, I have put my editors on notice that I am in survival mode and will only be doing my regular weekly commitments, and will likely be saying not to larger projects.

    I'm a little stressed about how it's going to work and how I'm going to get things done, but I've struggled with this since DS1 was born in 2008 and I'm frankly tired and burned out of struggling all the time with constant deadlines and patchwork childcare. I also did some math and realized I'd spend more on camps to do work than I'd actually profit after tax on the projects. Plus I'd have more stress.

  3. Buendia Says:
    1401482716

    I am learning to ask... it's hard for me, because I don't want to make his life terrible...

    And, ThriftoRama - that is so true - we are living parallel lives! It feels good that someone else is dealing with the same issues... Usually I turn down summer projects, but this year these are really my only two decent-sized projects. I'm working it out, though, and I am just crossing my fingers that things will work out!!

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