Lisawifemom's Blog

How Do You Handle Change? September 6, 2011

Why can’t I fall asleep?  Geez, you’d think I was the one starting kindergarten tomorrow!  Then as I lay here listening to my husband’s gentle snore, I realize it because my life is about to change, again.  And yet his life will pretty much remain unchanged, except for the less frequent late nights with the kids.  Which, let’s face it, is not necessary a bad thing.  I’m talking the daily routine parts of our lives, for the most part.

I say again because since the twins were born, my “daily routine” has never been the same.  First I stopped working, which was a huge, and not always good, change for me. Then there’s the day-to-day craziness of raising twins.  Then, when I tried to find work, the economy had been turned on its ear, and again, more change for me, no job to be found.

Fast forward almost 6 years, with some other changes along the way (milestones, preschool, etc.), and after juggling the house, kids, and several part-time gigs, tomorrow my kids are going to be gone for 5 hours, every day! WTF?  It’s going to seem weird at first, and now I will fiercely be looking to work, even more pressure on the job hunt now.  Especially as I can finally look for different types of work, since little to no babysitting is required (see my earlier post to understand this, At what point does salary vs. babysitting costs make it worth taking the job?? ). Bam, another change!  I know so many moms are relating to this, the first step of many to the empty house syndrome.

Meanwhile, hubby is still going to the same job everyday.  Tomorrow, after we drop off the kids, his day will be the same, while mine will be forever changed.  Not to say that things didn’t change along the way for him, obviously, I realize having kids has forever changed his life, but aside from getting up a bit earlier in the morning, and his evening no longer being his own, it hasn’t much changed his daily routine.  I’m getting up earlier, no longer having my evenings, AND my daily routine is continually changing.

I don’t have any ill feelings about it, I don’t think one situation is better or worse than the other, it’s just the way our life has played out and I’m fine with it.  But I think it does explain why I’m much more emotional about tomorrow (or now, later today), than he probably is, why I’m still awake at 2:00 A.M!

Have you and your partner both experienced many changes over the course of your relationship?  If not, do you think the one with the more consistent daily routine recognizes the differences?