Practical motherhood issues

We have always been encouraged to have more children in order to curb the aging population issue. Although the monetary perks seems attractive and economically sensible to have one, the practical issues loom. I always struggled with the decision to be a full time homemaker cum tutor to my children or striking a balance between my mid-life career and family. Honestly I have not been able to achieve the right work-life balance to date, and striving to do soon but facing higher challenges in this economic downturn.

Incidentally, today when we reached home from work, we found out that my mil brought back a computer table from downstairs which has been dumped by someone and place that in her room.

The condition is not too bad but I didn’t like the idea of picking pple’s trash back home for further usage cos somehow I don’t have a good feeling abt it (call me superstitious cos I am really frightened by those horror shows I watched)

So I told mum to not use it since it has been retrieved from unknown source.. this is already not the first time, she also picked up an old hello kitty children’s bike for Caden to play.. my hubby put that bike outside cos we didn’t have too much storage space in the house to park that.

MIL got offended a big time with the remark I made and interpreted that it’s my house so I have the rights to revoke her actions. Started putting remarks across to Caden that she is just here to be tong pang for time being (macam we make use of her) and when my son unknowingly still pester to sleep with her, she shooed him away and said she wants to go home!

And really off she went back.. angry and awfully pissed. I only make one honest remark to ask her not to use that computer table picked from dump area.

My hubby tried to salvage the situation by saying that we are ok to leave that table there in her room.. she said no need, and anyways she is only just staying here for time-being.. I asked Ricky if I shd apologise to her, he said no point to talk anything tonight cos nothing will get into her mind straight..

Sigh.. my mil is just another sensitive lady in my life whom I need to learn to manage… this is the kind of prob I most feared will happen has happened.

Most of the time, I am faced with constant guilt of not able to see my children on weekdays or spend fair amt of time with them before they retire for the day. And this guilt is strong enough to make me give up the current job which I have been doing for the last 10 years. Having a reliable and responsible caregiver like my MIL is hard to come by, so learning to close one eye on her actions seems the most logical way and beneficial behavior to allow us work in peace. It is indeed conflicting but that is one of the practical motherhood issues which many working women are facing now.