Where has 3 months gone?!

Wow, I really slipped with blogging when I started work! Just goes to show even working part time just takes over your life with a toddler.

It's mad just how fast time has gone. I've been working for just over 3 months now. Christmas has been and gone, I've passed my probationary period and it's just six weeks to Teddy's second birthday! Other than that, I have to say not much else has happened. It's just been a focus on getting into a routine to ensure I get Teddy and myself to where we need to be on time.
Thank goodness Teddy absolutely loves nursery. He goes in just 3 days a week and has made lots of little friends. He knows when he's going and asks to see the babies, and even gets upset when it's our day off and he has to spend the day with me. Charming! I'm just so happy and relieved at just how much he loves going. It's really helped with his development in all areas and getting him used to not being with me twenty-four-seven.

It feels awful to admit, but I've really enjoyed getting back into work. As much as a love being with Teddy and miss him when I'm not with him, it's lovely to be out of the nappy and dinner time routines for a few hours, to have uninterrupted adult conversation and to feel like I'm succeeding at something. The guilt eases a little seeing his happy little face when I go and pick him up from nursery, the way he jumps up and runs to me with his hands in the air, all excited. It's my favourite part of the day finding out how he's been and what he's been up to.

Sundays have now become our family day. It was difficult to begin with to muster the energy to do anything, with working through the week myself, and Adam watching over Teddy on the Saturday. We just wanted to curl up and have a lazy day. But the last few weeks we have made the effort to get out the house and go for walks. Teddys been in his element, but a got a little annoyed at the ducks last week because they didn't want his Pom bears. Fussy little buggers.

Working parents... how do you do it?!

Childcare. Two words come to mind; expensive and scary. Finding a job that fits around our family life and pays enough to cover childcare is proving to be extremely difficult. 

When Teddy came along, we had planned for me to stay at home, which I have always wanted to do. My background is all in retail management, which means erratic hours and weekends, and with Adam working away a lot it's no longer viable as I would be the one responsible for getting Teddy to and from nursery. So my career went on the back burner (fine by me!). Sadly, bills need to be paid, so staying at home with my bear is no longer an option (insert cry emoji here!). For weeks now I've been given the task of finding a job that not only works around us, but also pays well. The elusive 9 to 5 job with a good wage for someone with only a retail background is living up to its name. How do people do it? How do families go out to work, pay for childcare and still come out with a decent wage at the end of the month? Minimum wage doesn't even come close. But that's the harsh reality of it. 

Nowadays, employers want one or two years experience of the role they are advertising for, to even be considered for the position. Do transferable skills account for anything? Not unless it's down on paper. 

Flexibility. Employers need you to be fully available for any 'shift' and cover sickness and holidays. When you have children, that luxury goes out the window. Especially when you are trying to cut down on childcare costs.

Working life just doesn't seem to be very supportive of families or working parents. I'd love to know how other families make it work, or have come across other hurdles. How do you do it?!