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Island Living 365

Both Of My Children Are At School, What Now?

September 17, 2017

girls jumping on bed as I drink Berocca

 

The time came far quicker than I thought it would. When I was in the baby stage with Youngest we had recently uprooted and left Yorkshire behind to move to Jersey. With that move I left my career, family and friends. I also left my beloved Leeds city centre and my little Yorkshire house perched on the top of a hill. In Yorkshire, I looked out of my window and saw the rolling Yorkshire moors in the distance but right in front of me was a street packed with houses and cars. At the time I cursed those cars. I cursed that hill in winter when any snow or ice made it impossible to get down the hill to park on our drive. I never cursed our neighbours though. Well, maybe one side who were fond of feeding pigeons which meant that the pigeons were always cr%pping down my side of the fence. I don’t know why they insisted on feeding those pigeons, it’s not like they were a rare breed of parrot that needed looking after, they were flying rats and we were overrun with them. Our other neighbours were a delight though. They were the ones who shouted at the removal men for me because they were being complete arses. They were the ones who in the depths of winter would always sweep and grit the hill.

 

Moving to Jersey

 

Me and the girls with my Village England handbag. It is a cloudy day

 

When we moved to Jersey I suddenly realised how I had taken my neighbours for granted. I found myself living in the middle of the countryside and when I looked out of the window I didn’t see anything but flat fields; I didn’t see a single soul. Admittedly it was a beautiful view but it was also incredibly lonely and I went from someone who was confident and outgoing to someone who became rather reclusive. Those days felt long. I tried to fill them with baby groups but I could never quite find the right one. We went to lots of baby classes but nothing replaced the ache of feeling lonely or that dull monotonous feeling. I craved to be able to get in the car and drive to another city but living on Jersey meant that was no longer possible. Back then it felt like those yawning days would go on forever.

 

But over time I began to fall in love with the island and see the beauty that surrounded me and the kindness of people. There was an ever so slight switch and the days were no longer yawning but instead they were speeding by and the next thing I knew I had blinked and I found myself here. Sat at home alone, typing away as I wonder what the children are doing in school. Wondering where the time went. Wondering how the next stage crept along.

 

The Next Stage

 

me, Boo and a tiger, not a real one!

 

This next stage is a massive one for all of us. Youngest is now at school and (*touch wood*) she has well and truly embraced it. There has not been one solitary tear at the thought of being parted from me all day. In fact she is rather annoyed when the weekend comes around and she doesn’t have to go to school. She has taken her little feet and well and truly planted them into the next stage. She is marching forwards, onwards and upwards. But what about me?

 

Extra Hours…

 

two clocks on the wall with a poster in the middle that reads ask more questions

 

I now find myself with extra hours in the day to fill. From 9am to 2pm to be precise – 5 whole hours. Since Youngest was born I have been with her. That’s if we discount the three months I had to return to work so that I could work off my maternity pay. For 4 years my life has been closely entwined with hers. It has revolved around her needs and wants. Now, I find myself quite lost. I miss having her around and I have spoken about the empty nest previously. However, I also know myself well. I know that I need to keep busy to keep sane.

 

However, 5 hours might seem a lot but the reality is that on Jersey it is impossible to find a job that ties in with these hours. With no family on the island I am the one who needs to do the school drop-off and school pick-up. I am the one who ferries them around to their clubs. Yes, I could put them in before school clubs and after-school clubs but the main reason for moving to Jersey was so that we could be there for the children, so that we didn’t have to rely on others to help us with the childcare. If I am going to go back to working full-time then we may as well move back to England where at least we will have family around to help.

 

What Now?

I have mooted the idea of retraining for a new career but as what and would it offer the flexibility that I need for the children? Probably not. Questions have already been asked  by well-meaning people who gently ask what I’m going to do now. People who seem genuinely concerned that somehow I might struggle to fill those 5 hours.  The reality is that those 5 hours won’t be difficult to fill at all. I will still be juggling my life around the children, I still want to make sure that I am there to do the school run, to hear about their day and to help them with their homework. But now, hopefully, there should be fewer balls in the air. I am hopeful that those 5 glorious hours will mean that I will no longer have to squeeze my work in during the evenings. I am hopeful that Mr C and I will get our evenings back again. I am hopeful that I will be able to build on my freelance work and my blog work.

 

I am hopeful.

 

I am lucky to be in this position. I am very lucky that I have the opportunity to try and carve out a flexible career for myself, one that fits in with family life. If I find myself feeling like I have too much spare time then I could always have another baby………… only joking 😉

 

 

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Filed Under: General, Musings

  1. Becki says

    September 17, 2017 at 8:28 pm

    It must be so strange. I went back to work for about a year part time from when my son was 10 months old, but for the last year I’ve been a stay at home mum – now he’s at nursery 2 whole days a week (well, 9 til 3) and I don’t know where the time goes! In between blogging, running a website and being a voluntary production assistant for my local theatre group, those 12 hours a week disappear! You’ll soon find that it flies by! I hope it all goes well with the freelance work xx

    • Emma @ Island Living 365 says

      September 17, 2017 at 9:02 pm

      Thank you. I’ve already managed to pick up some more freelance work so I think that I am going to find that I will be very busy 🙂 You sound really busy too! I don’t know you fit it all in x

  2. Sam says

    September 17, 2017 at 8:32 pm

    You have an enviable position – honestly. I’m so pleased that she’s taken to it with gusto and I have no doubt that the 5 hours of just you time will be fantastic and full of lovely things

    • Emma @ Island Living 365 says

      September 17, 2017 at 9:03 pm

      I am very lucky that I have this opportunity to pursue what I have always wanted to do. So far it is already looking promising and I’m feeling excited for the future 🙂 x

  3. Samantha Mayers says

    September 17, 2017 at 8:53 pm

    Awww how lovely that your daughter has settled into school so well. My little girl starts school next year but I am not ready for it at all. She is a summer baby so I’m not sure she will be ready either. I am going to try and make the most of our time together until then though. Lovely post

    • Emma @ Island Living 365 says

      September 17, 2017 at 9:04 pm

      Yes, make the most of this time, it really does fly. My oldest is a summer baby too and I was worried about her when she started. She was fine though. It took some adjusting but we got there x

  4. oddhogg says

    September 17, 2017 at 9:08 pm

    Those days seem so far away for me right now, but I have no doubt they’ll be here before I know it. Like you, I want to be there for the school drop off and pick up so a new job is unlikely in my future. Time will tell though!

    • Emma @ Island Living 365 says

      September 17, 2017 at 9:12 pm

      Aww, enjoy every minute. I think the great thing about blogging is that it arms us with skills that we can use if we want to carve out our own career x

  5. Stephs Two Girls says

    September 18, 2017 at 3:56 pm

    Good luck with the new start again! Am sure you will find something which suits you all and you’ll be wondering where the time went x

    • Emma @ Island Living 365 says

      September 18, 2017 at 4:00 pm

      Thank you! I have been offered a freelance contract and that should be keep me very busy

  6. Alex says

    September 19, 2017 at 4:56 pm

    I am very happy for you that you have 5 hours. 5 hours is a wonderful thing. I have 5 hours too some days (although my hubby is around in the day and often doesn’t leave my side and is constantly begging to go for a lunchtime pint/watch a film/help him with something) so I really hope that you enjoy these 5 hours and before long you will find yourself wondering how you ever managed to fit everything in before you had those five hours. But you will be calm and serene and an absolute wonder-mum who is nailing motherhood. All hail the five hours.

    • Emma @ Island Living 365 says

      September 20, 2017 at 9:48 pm

      I might have already filled those 5 hours with regular freelance work but I am feeling very calm and serene as I can work in pjs and drink buckets of coffee

  7. Mudpie Fridays says

    September 24, 2017 at 8:03 am

    Ha ha another baby!! Good luck with your freelancing work I am sure it will go really well for you. I know what you mean about getting your evenings back I would quite like to do that xx

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Hi, I’m Emma

Mum to two girls and wife to Mr C.
We used to live in wild and wonderful Yorkshire on the edge of the moors. We have now moved to the rather lovely and sunny Jersey, Channel Islands. Read about our adventures here.

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