[baileyann3]

Are there any other bartenders out there?

I'd love to hear from you. I'm back to my old gig, after taking a year off to be with my baby. I'm finding the transition alittle hard. It's hard being "flirty". I feel like I'm a mom now and I can't seem to find a way to blend these two parts of my life. Before becoming pregnant, I was a pretty bartender and would flirt and wear tight shirts

: now it just feels wierd? Anyone else?

Also, does anyone pump while at work? How does it work with your bar?

What kind of bars do you guys work in?

I think this job is great for now, my dd can be with her papa while I'm at work so no daycare! Plus the $$$$ is great!!

But boy it's a transition! It is a lot if fun to get out and be social! But it so hard to not talk baby all the time

 

[tinyblackdot]

Me Me Me Me!!!!!

:

Yay i thought i was the only one!!!!

I work in a seedy little bar, its a strange place. Its all nascar, blue collar, guys during the day (we are talking overalls and missing teeth, and cowboy hats) and then at night its a weird mix of college kids and musicians and punk kids. I have been there for 6 years in Febuary.

I did take off some time after i had dd, and it was a hard transition back to work. I wasnt able to pump, because we are the only people there. So there is 1 bartender (unless its $1 wells night, o the weekend) and thats it, no manager, or waitresses or anything. I would get soooooo engorged!

I think going back saved me though, Dont get me wrong I LOVE being a SAHM durring the day, but i like to be able to get out of the house every once in a while and feel like a woman again. Maybe its my DDs age.

But as long as i can do this, while DH works and goes to school and we can pay our bills this is what i am going to do.

 

[baileyann3]

That does sound pretty seedy! Do you feel safe working late nights by yourself?

I like GOING to bars like that!

I work at an expensive upscale restaurant. It's pretty hip. My bar crowd are people eating dinner at the bar, or who are waiting for a table. Then the regulars are 50-somethings who are richish and single (but rude and drink too much)

So it's like 50/50 service bar for the restaurant and then small bar crowd, like 15 stools. But we serve a full menu at the bar.

I like it.

 

[tinyblackdot]

Yeah for the most part, we have had some issues, but i always have people that stay with me, and most of DHs friends go up there. My boss is up there alot drinking, and pretty much all of our customers are regulars.

How much do you average a night if you dint mind me asking?

I make about $250 a night, sometimes more sometimes less. it just depends.

But i can make $200 and my sales are only around $400 for the night. Pluss i dont have a boss breathing down my back, and its a ton of fun there.

But yeah i have thought about leaving many times because of the risks involved, but the police station is across the street, and knowing so many people i feel pretty safe.

 

[baileyann3]

It sounds like fun! And that's really good money. I have a few friends that work in bars like that. They always have someone there too. Plus they all have nothing holding them back from kicking someone out if they start acting up. I always thought it would be a lot if fun at a more "for fun" bar, instead of mine which is more "for food"

The money changes so much! My town is a vacation and second home spot for a lot of NYC folks, so the summer is like 50% busier. So winter, 80-150 $ weeknights, and $100 to 175 weekends. And in the summer 100 to 200 weeknights, 150-300 weekends

Then holidays it's even more. Like labor day and memorial day weekends, we are slammed

 

[tinyblackdot]

oh yeah thats the diffrence there, we are usually the least busy during the summers....all of the college kids go home, and people are on vacation.

As for the kicing people out, hells yeah, i dont have to serve anyone i dont want to! Its great, and my boss will always back me up! I hated waiting tables and having ot be nice to people that didnt deserve it.

How many nights do you work?

 

[baileyann3]

Yeah that's awesome to know yourboss will back you up. I've always wanted to kick someone out !

: haha

I literally just started back on Friday. I'm going to do two day a week for awhile then maybe pick up one or two more. We just need alittle extra cash to get by. But I'm promised Saturdays so that's awesome. It would probably take me working 2-3 weeknights to match what I'll make on Saturdays!

How much do you work?

 

[tinyblackdot]

yeah about the same. I quit when i left for maternity leave. But we where short on money, and i didnt want to put dd in daycare so young. So i went back and started picking up shifts, then the other bartender got preggers, and so i started working her shifts until she came back. now i work Saturday nights, but i usually end up working Thursdays too, and sometime i pick up other shifts.

Maybe its because im older now, but working nights are just really hard on me. I usually dont get home untill 4 am and DH works at 10am, so that dosent give me alot of time to sleep.

The day after i work are usually lazy days, which i HATE. I am just too tired to go out and do stuff with my dd. Sometime i think i would be better off not sleeping at all, and just waiting untill dh get home and then falling asleep when dd goes to bed.

 

[almadianna]

moved to working parents.

 

[baileyann3]

Wow 4am is rough! I get out at midnight and even then I'm tired in the morning! And dp is home Sundays, and last week he let me sleep in.

I have lazy days even when we are in bed my ten sometimes. Dd is still waking up a lot at night.

Is it east for you dp to get your daughter to sleep when you're not there?

 

[baileyann3]

How old is your dd by the way?

I guess we are the only bartenders around here....

 

[tinyblackdot]

Well DH dosent go to work untill 10 am on sundays and then not untill 1pm on fridays, so i get a bit of sleep. But dd is 27 months, so there is not alot of lying in bed all day anymore.

It did take DH a long time to get the hang of getting dd to bed, but now its a cinch....except on her bad days (she has some digestive issues, and sometimes sleep issues)but even on her bad days he will just driver her around in the car untill she fall asleep LOL!

The transition from BFing to a bottle was REALLY REALLY hard for dd, i would say that was the worst part. DH would call me crying because DD had bee crying for 2 hours and wouldnt eat. I think after dealing with that, DH can handle anything.

If you get out at 12, what time do you go in at?

I work 8pm-4am, and then if i barback its 10:30pm-4am

 

[baileyann3]

how old was your dd when you went back to working?

Dd doesn't mind a bottle. She won't like lay in a cradle position and drink a whole bottle tho. Shell take sips

She didn't drink much bm while I was gone, which was alittle worrisome. Dp said she ate food and drank a lot of water out of a cup. I think she prefers a regular cup to the bottle. Maybe we will have to start putting the milk in a cup...

Do you think only drinking a few oz of bm in 8 hours is bad for an 11 month old who eats solids? Hmmm... Maybe I'll have dp force it a bit.

I go to work at 3:45. And we open at 5. The kitchen closes at ten, and I'm usually in bed no later than 12:30

 

[tinyblackdot]

DD was about 3 months old, but i was only working like once every other week or so when i went back.

Are you nursing when you are at home throughout the day? If so then no, i dont think its a big deal at all. Alot of babies wont take bottles or anything while they are at daycare, so that shouldn't be an issue at all.

maybe try bm out of the cup.

So your place serves food? Is it more of a bar that serves food, or a restaurant that has a bar?

 

[panamama]

one more BTing mamahere.

my situation is pretty diff though b/c it is my PT/second job (regular office drone 9-5 M-F), and DS is a teenager so no pumping or post-preggers issues for me. i've been doing it for about a year and love it. if it could pay the mortgage, i'd BT FT and quit craporate america.

maybe one day when DS is grown and i'm not trying so hard to be miss responsible single mama. right now i need the steady paycheck and awesome health insurance that my day job provides.