Learning to say NO!

Now in our household NO is a very common word. Especially for my toddler but she doesn't just say it she yells it at a very high pitch which even the dog responds to. The 2 older kids don't tend to use it so much they are more fans on just ignoring something you tell them or ask them to do. So rather then saying no they just pretend not to hear you. I thought this wouldn't start until they were much older. Oh how wrong I was.

I am learning to say no. I can do it. Actually I do it quite a bit,

"Can we sleep in the lounge room?"  "No"
"Can we stay up late?" "No"
"Can I stay home from School?" "No"
"Can I have fairy bread for lunch"  "No"

And of course when hubby rolls over at night and tries to cuddle up - NOOOO!!!

But this year I am learning to say no to activities that take time away from my family. I am one of those people that can't help but be involved in most things. Some would call it being a control freak. But I blame genetics (again). If you ask my Mum I am just like my Dad who can't help but get involved in any club he is a part of. There is no just rocking up to play the game or train and then leave. No we have to be involved in the running of the club. Which I have to say I love and I do find it hard to say no. Only a couple of weeks ago when at a meeting discussing an upcoming hockey carnival it was decided there would be one person from each club on a sub committee. I straight away said our club president. "I'll do it" She did look at me like I was an idiot but I can't help it. I am my Dad's daughter after all!

However the kids are getting older and involved in more after school activities which is great. And given that they have such limited choices out here we want them to make the most of the opportunities there are. So my term 2 was looking very full. Lochie wants to do Auskick which is Tuesday afternoons, Molly will have dancing on Wednesdays, I have hockey training Tuesdays & Thursdays and to add to all this seeding will be in full swing for about 4 weeks. Which means me being a single mum for that time. So looking at all this plus my work which is cleaning at the school everyday for about 11/2 to 2hrs. Something had to give.

So yesterday I made the call and quit my job. It was the main thing that would take the pressure off. I will stay with it until the end of term but I feel a huge sense of relief after making the decision. I will miss the interaction with the staff and being able to be in the kids classroom everyday. But this is one of the first times I had to make the decision to say no to something that I really enjoy but I know it is better for everyone.

If I had of kept going I wouldn't have done any of my 'jobs' well. The school job would have suffered but more importantly my family life would have suffered as I would have been a very cranky mum who said NO a lot more, probably at a much higher pitch then normal. And No wouldn't have been the only word I would be using.

Hubby is very happy with this decision as he doesn't quite understand my need to be involved. Every time I come home from a meeting he asks me what job I have taken on. I have come home from 2 AGM's this year and happily told him I don't have any jobs this year. I am still secretary of the hockey club but he knew that was going to be the case.

So I will enjoy the last few weeks of work knowing that next term will be a little less stressful and it's on thing off my list of 'jobs'.