greedy about baby time

No, you are not alone. I think it is a natural reaction to want to spend what little free time you have with yur loved ones, especially your baby. I work out of the home as well and am very greedy with my personal time. Even extra-curricular activities (like soccer for example) are an intrusion for me, but I cope because that is what DS #1 wants to do. It is one practice a week and one game a week for six weeks, so I just have to get over myself and let it be fun But I'd rather be home with them doing something we can all be involved with and enjoy.

So, I am with ya on that. I do, however, about every couple of months want to go out by myself with my non-kid friends. But it isn't a frequent desire.

I'm totally there! I started working full-time this month and feel like I hardly see my family. When I get home, my daughter is only up for another hour, if I'm lucky -- even though when I leave my desk, all my coworkers still seem to be beavering away! On Saturdays, dh works, so we just have Sunday as a 'family' day, and it seems to fill up with errands so quickly. This is a lot harder than I thought to get used to!!

People at work talk about going for drinks after, or to the gym, and they do stuff socially a lot. I also have the chance to do a language course through work, but it would be 2 nights a week. I just don't think I can do it -- sure, learning a foreign language or going to the gym is good, but I miss my babelet, and my husband, and every hour doing something else is another hour away from them. And, yes, probably everyone at work thinks this is pretty odd -- luckily tomorrow there's a work-related bbq that's actually during dd's waking hours, so we can drop by and dispel any concerns about me being totally anti-social.

I'm glad there are others in the same boat!

I just went back to work, and btwn the hours I put in at our restaurant and the time spent at my job (36/wk total, and dh works 60!) we have little time for going out. An outing for us is leaving the oldest and youngest at my mom's and taking the other two boys to the grocery store with us and putting them in the babysitting room while we shop. really, lol! our lives are that exciting! We probably could set aside some social time if we really worked at it, but i feel like my kids are with other ppl so much I don't want to give up any time I have with them!
we, also, only have Sundays for family time. Our friends used to bug us a lot to go out, and there have been times over the past 10 years that we have gone out to see a band a couple of times a month for a few months, got to socialize and be *away* from the responsibility of caring for our children. But even then, I couldn't wait to walk in the door and kiss each one of them and just stare at their beautiful faces for a few minutes before I went to bed.

I appreciate my time with my kids even more now that I am away from them all day, and sometimes at night. There is no reason to feel that you are spending too much time with your kids. they grow up and go away too quickly. It doesn't seem like that time willl ever move that fast when they are babes, but trust me it does

Geez, I thought it was just me. My in-laws always seem to make rude comments to my husband about how my dd is too attached to us and she needs to be in daycare (DH is a SAHD). I am away from her 50 hours a week and I do everything possible to be w/ her - co-sleep and play w/ her during her wake hours outside of work. DH basically gets a huge break when I get home because I do everything w/ regards to caring for dd. Why? Because it is time I get to spend w/ her. I cared for her 24/7 for 5 mos after I gave birth to her...I am her mommy and she prefers me over dad. I comfort her when she wakes up at night and stay home when she doesn't feel well.

I think there are people who just don't understand that many (if not most) working moms want to be w/ their kids, but they can't for various reasons.

And do you know what? I really don't care that my in-laws and others may think I am baby greedy. They were able to leave their kids for weeks at a time to do teh 'social' thing in the 60s, 70s and even early 80s. Not me. I am not like that. My parents were not like that.

Jenni (Baby Greedy Prez)
Helon 15 mos

I enjoy getting out of the house. I even enjoy getting out of the house with DH and DS. I thought it was nice the first few times I went out with my Mom to show her our area. After a couple of times, I was miserable. She would say, "Let's go for a ride" and I would think "I want my baby".

DS goes almost everywhere with us. If we can't take him, we just don't go. Friends and family will have to accept that if they want to spend time with us.

I get tired of hearing about all of these great things that he is doing from his teacher. I want to be the one to share his accomplishments.

My favorite time is when he settles down and brings his blanket over to watch TV with me. He nurses for a few minutes then just chills out until he is asleep in my arms. I guess we are cosleeping for a bit longer.. Hehe

i don't work at all & my "baby" is four & a half... & i still don't want to do anything that would take me away from him!!! he is my joy & my treasure, as are your kids to you, many people just do not understand the mindset of someone who actually "enjoys" her kids.

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How about for the better part of 16 yrs? I am exhausted and run down. i think its finally catching up with me. I have been last on the food chain since we brought our first baby home (we now have 3 kids). so, i am going out to lunch with a friend on thursday, and will take advantage of our hospitals free massages and schedule one for this month. I will also get a pedicure. sounds silly, and frilly, but my emotional bank account is empty, and as much as i love my kids and i will continue to put them first, i need to do something for Lisa, and then i will go to a movie with my husband. The last movie we saw together was Pearl Harbor! and before that Titanic! It doesnt help that my job is an ER nurse.....so i care for everyone at home, go to class and do schoolwork, then go to work and care for complete strangers, most of whom hate nurses and are hostile the minute they get triaged! And dont get me started on how upsetting it is to see dead kids, critically ill kids, and have to deal with a patient in the next room who is enraged because they had to wait 90 minutes for us to look in his ear because he had an earache and wanted to get home before the begining of the Bronco's game, while i resusitated a 2 yr old, then comnforted her mom (another big part of my job).

I am so sorry about my rant going off topic. but i do spend every spare second with my kids. i havent had dinner or lunch with friends in God knows how long. so i am taking baby steps and will do the massage and pedicure while my kindergartner is in school, and go to a movie with my husband.

Thanks for listening.

Lisa