In recent weeks, I have felt increasingly listless in the office. It's a combination of 'push' as well as 'pull' factors, lah. At times, it gets so bad that I wish I could just throw in the towel and morph into a full-time homemaker straightaway.
But I think the reality is that many many adjustments will need to be made before I can do this. And the major ones would be financial: Flat, Insurance, Enrichments. In many aspects, we will also have to downgrade: transport, household expenses/'little luxuries' (eg aircon, DVDs, new readers for boys etc).
But then, the pros for staying home are aplenty, the best being: Time and Attention for fast-growing boys and fast-aging M and F. Also Time to do something (eg exercise) for myself so as to keep my stress level and physical health in an acceptable state (I am afraid to go prematurely, actually).
Sigh. Dilemma. Dilemma.
And the irony is: I have been receiving calls from headhunters every other fortnight or so recently. It seems that the market is really quite 'hot' out there. But I don't want to jump from one hotpot into another (maybe worse) hotpot.
So how?
What is the reality? Sigh....
3 comments:
My heart went very heavy when I read "fast-aging M and F".
To us here, the difference is very telling when we saw Mother. She is not sickly looking nor very old, but she is certainly older and needs more time to move around. *sniff sniff*
I would say the following to "encourage" you.
Money is not everything. Health and family are.
Imagine if you have some sort of medical condition (touch wood) and you actually HAVE TO quit. Would that not be "too bad" then?
I know the enticement of 2nd income as to give the family "little things" are very attractive indeed. But to overcome that mental barrier, you can also imagine taking a sabbatical (not sure if it works with your company) for say 18 months?
If the labour market continues, demand for your legal experience and knowledge will still be "hot" in 18 months.
Taking a break may just rejuvenate your senses, set your life priorities and give you a taste of "100% homemaker". (sorry Roger)
Michelle is doing this now, although sometimes she complains about it, I believe overall she is happy and "lucky" to have this option of staying home.
Why not give it a go? 6 months? 12 months? (I heard from mother that next year is the challenging one, correct?)
How about giving tuition classes from my apartment? Hint hint. You can set one tuition centre up with CP. Roland is really leaving.
For now, I am reluctant or lazy to look for new tenant. Any ideas?
Thanks for your encouraging words.
We don't call it sabbatical here except where it is for 'study' purposes. The more relevant option is called 'No-Pay Leave'.
I intend to make the request for NPL closer to end of the year (I need NPL for at least 10 months or so next year, in order to cover the stressful PSLE period), but knowing the style and thinking of the very 'indifferent' boss(es) here (who are all way past our life stage of having to care for young children and elderly parents), I suspect the request won't be allowed. At most, they will offer part-time arrangement.
But part-time won't meet my needs: WF will be in afternoon session while WY will be in morning session.
Plus, based on my experience of taking daily half-day leave during WY's exam periods so far, the shuttling between home-work and office-work is pure madness, insanity. I would certainly become an insane woman if I do it on a regular basis. Such arrangement also just doesn't make economic sense.
Hence the need to be prepared to quit the current place for good, if necessary.
I am not a good tutor because I have no patience. CP is good, but I believe she wants to give it a shot at her office (now that there is some positive change because of some job-scope refinement etc), so she is unlikely to look into becoming once again a paid tutor, as yet.
As at now, the 'go' vs 'stay' ratio is something like 60:40.
Wah lao erh....At least yr head got hunted...Why no one hunted mine? So sick of going to work which starts at 0730hrs and ends 2100hrs....another one of those "dinner-less" dinner time meeting tomorrow nitte. Cos some stupid guy calls for one...to discuss on Sodium cloride in our diet...:(
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