Balancing family and work

Having been on both sides of the fence I can understand the frustrations felt by single parents and families alike. When my eldest daughter was 3 month old I left her father. I spent the next year as a single mum, working part time and collecting parenting payment from the

Money was not the real issue as I always seemed to find a way to make ends meet. The real stress lay in raising a child by myself. I lived with my sister and her daughter, she too had recently undergone a marriage breakup and we found ourselves in the same position. I had family support and good friends to turn to but there was still something missing. I love my daughter dearly, but as the days went by there was an undeniable sense of being alone in the world with only my duaghter to turn to.

Time passed and my daughter father grew up, he received some councelling of his own velision and wanted to try again. We gave it a go and have been together ever since. We now have two children, a mortgage and two cars to run, Life is not cheap and I am forced with working full time or give up everything we have both worked so hard for.

I would dearly love to spend more time at home but quitting work or dropping my hours is not an option at the moment if we want to own our house.

I find that each time I work my way into what I believe will make me the happiest, there is always another option or thing that I need to get to fill that never ending void. Someone once told me it was called afluenza, when we want everything we can gett our hands on and we want it now! We forget the simple things in life can be just as satisfying.

So my advice to all of you, be you a single mother or a family of fifteen. When the stress of this world starts to get you down, rememeber what it was like when you were a kid, when all you needed were some clothes to play in, some sunshine on your face and a cool breeze to cool you down after running or skipping your way back home. I was lucky and grew up with seven brothers and sisters and a mother and father who still show their love and pride in us all to this day. I know some of you may not have been that lucky but surely there is a time or place in your lives you can go when things were simple.

If we can all get back there what a great place this would be to raise our children. I know this is being optomistic but without optimism there is no hope and without hope ther is no future.

So lets keep it simple and enjoy today for todays sake because tomorrow will take care of itself.