Kid is growin up way too fast... gotta work less - and 24 hour shifts suck

Joey_V

Man, I have an 11 month old. Time is going by so fast, she's getting older and older by the minute. Sometimes I wish I could just freeze time and keep her at 6 months old... so much easier at that time, super cute still and I'm able to leave her in 1 spot and she's not trying to terrorize our house.

Now, she more mobile, she's finally found the media room and will do whatever it takes to crawl in there and stare at the tubes and sometimes she gets up, steadies herself, and yells at the speakers.

Super cute, super pretty baby - but I just feel like time is passing me by.

I work about 18 shifts a month and I feel like I should not be picking up work as much as I did before the baby so I can spend more time at home.... but I know that hard work early in life pays off later on in life, so I can't really complain.

Anyway, just wanted to vent...

... right now my baby and wife just visited me a few hours ago at work to bring me dinner... I volunteered for a 24 hour shift (yes, 24) and I am exhausted. I can only wish I was at home listening to my 802 Diamonds right now.

Nightfall

24 hours? Damn dude. If I may, what do you do?

Joey_V

I don't do many 24h shifts, only once a month or so, and I usually pick up a shift like this only when I have lots of days off in between so I'm not tired. Typically, in 24h, it's like a vacation, but today was somewhat of a beating because I saw more than I typically do. Usually, I get to watch lots of TV, surf lots of youtube, catch up on forums, and catch up on some reading.

I work like 15 eight hour shifts at my full time gig, then probably another 2 shifts doing 10-12 hour shifts at my part time job, and then randomly a 24 hour easy shift once. But I think after today, I'm not doing 24h again. I'd rather do 12h shifts two days in a row than beat myself doing a 24h once.

But you know, can't complain... atleast I got a job, right?

tonyb

Joey_V wrote: »

But you know, can't complain... atleast I got a job, right?

Amen to that pal.

I think you have the right attitude, work hard while your young for payoffs later in life. You just have to remember to not make work all consuming and pay some attention to that little girl....and the big girl.

smglbrth

I feel your pain... Ever try working for a railroad as a conductor/engineer? Railroads don't recognize any holidays, no guaranteed time off (except vacation), on call a literal 24 hours/day/365 days a year (all hours of the day or night I get called, no matter), up for 20-30 hours straight at times because they can't seem to schedule squat (sometimes I swear they could screw up a one man parade). Have a doctors appointment? Sorry, can't spare you to have time off for that. You want to attend your son/daughters graduation? Sorry, can't do it. You want time off since you are moving? Sorry, your wife will have to deal with it. One of your non-direct family members is not expected to live? Sorry, the feds give you FMLA for that, then we'll talk. These are just a very few examples, BTW.

Granted, this is the railroad that I work for but not all are this bad, from what I hear anyway. I might be leaving this soon, mainly because I'm tired of dealing with it.

Yes, it's a job but I'm constantly reminded of one thing. People spend so much giving away, practically for free, the most expensive thing they can never buy back. And what happens all those years later when they realize they've wasted it? They wish so much they could in fact buy it back, but they can't, TIME is gone...

PSOVLSK

I can't take credit for this quote, but it describes my experience with my kids perfectly, "The days are long and the years are short."

Joey_V

Yeah guys I agree. We trade time for cash. Basically that's what we are doing.

My goal is to have a stream of passive income, then I can take the pedal off the metal. But I'm not even really pushing it. I could work 4 more shifts a month and that'd be enough to significantly raise my income but I keep declining extra shifts because I set my limit at 18 a month and don't want to go beyond that.

No sense in driving a Ferrari if it's parked outside my work. Although when you're off and the tops down, there's probably not much like it.

Hahaha... Just joking man...

I'd rather spend those extra 4 days with my kid and wife.

Joey_V

This is what greeted me home this morning after my 24 hour shift... Much better than the backside of any Ferrari.

Joey_V

Also came home to this, definitely magnitudes less cool than my baby but still my "other baby". If my baby is a 100 on a 100 point scale, my system is probably a 1 point.



Also the wife's asleep and would not want me posting sleeping pics of her lol...

oldrocker

Just keep hugging and squeezing them. I started a "journal" when my daughter was born, I wish I had done more of that. I'm flipping thru one right now, my daughter's first sentence was "Hi, I'd like your free catalog", it was from a tv commercial 26 years ago.

When she was about 5, every night before I got home from work around 10 o'clock, she would hide in our bed under the covers, I would then go walking that way singing the song Thunderstruck. Thunder, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na THUNDER, tapping my foot real hard to the word Thunder, she would just giggle and laugh, the covers would be shaking from her so happy to see her Daddy, if fact her version as she sang along was not the word Thunder, it was Bunder, took her a while to pronounce Thunder with a TH.

26 years later, I can still do that walking towards her room and she always smiles....

mrbiron

I walk out of my house at 4:30am and return home just before 7pm, 5 sometimes 6 days a week. I see my daughter for roughly an hour a day and that is nowhere near enough. Sundays are our bonding day.

My wife understands that i am the main contributor and if we want a better life for our daughter/us, then sacrifices have to be made. How long can i keep this up?...if we start on #2 this year, then essentially forever. And i'm only 30.

Remember, its not just your kid, but your wife as well. Chasing money will always lead to bad things...

In the end, it sucks. There is no other way to slice it.

Joey_V

Old rocker - that's a great story man.

Yep, money buys you time... That's all. If we lose sight of that then it's all for naught.

Time is the best part of life. Not money, not material things.

Joey_V

mrbiron wrote: »

I walk out of my house at 4:30am and return home just before 7pm, 5 sometimes 6 days a week. I see my daughter for roughly an hour a day and that is nowhere near enough. Sundays are our bonding day.

My wife understands that i am the main contributor and if we want a better life for our daughter/us, then sacrifices have to be made. How long can i keep this up?...if we start on #2 this year, then essentially forever. And i'm only 30.

Remember, its not just your kid, but your wife as well. Chasing money will always lead to bad things...

In the end, it sucks. There is no other way to slice it.

Biron

You present it very well, you're right. You gotta work to live but you can't live for work. It's very difficult to draw the line... Saying this is enough and I'm not going to make more money in return for less time.

jeremymarcinko

Ahh man just keep having more kids, one in diapers at a time though. I have three, might have another someday...maybe
I've enjoyed all of the stages, so far, watching them grow and experience new things is what I enjoy most.

Joey_V

jeremymarcinko wrote: »

Ahh man just keep having more kids, one in diapers at a time though. I have three, might have another someday...maybe
I've enjoyed all of the stages, so far, watching them grow and experience new things is what I enjoy most.

Yeah there's that thinking too...

Before we had Emma, I was really trying to time it when we were financially ready. We were never ready, but it just happened.

PSOVLSK

Joey_V wrote: »

Before we had Emma, I was really trying to time it when we were financially ready. We were never ready, but it just happened.

That's the way it was for us too. Never financially ready and never ready to give up our freedom. Thank goodness it just happened because the kids are worth way more than money or freedom.

ken brydson

Enjoy it while you can. My baby girl is away at her 1st year of college. Miss her so much... Seems like yesterday she was in a crib.

jeremymarcinko

My wife and I tried for seven years, before we sought foster/adoption. Got our first two just days old, but two and a half months apart. Then my wife became pregnant , out of the blue, a couple of years later...and then there was three.

Joey_V

PSOVLSK wrote: »

Joey_V wrote: »

Before we had Emma, I was really trying to time it when we were financially ready. We were never ready, but it just happened.

That's the way it was for us too. Never financially ready and never ready to give up our freedom. Thank goodness it just happened because the kids are worth way more than money or freedom.

Yeah we never felt ready... No matter how much I had saved or income earned... But it turned out alright ...

Joey_V

ken brydson wrote: »

Enjoy it while you can. My baby girl is away at her 1st year of college. Miss her so much... Seems like yesterday she was in a crib.

Yeah man... I wish I could freeze time

ken brydson

Joey_V wrote: »

ken brydson wrote: »

Enjoy it while you can. My baby girl is away at her 1st year of college. Miss her so much... Seems like yesterday she was in a crib.

Yeah man... I wish I could freeze time

You and me both brother. You have it now, cherish it cause it goes so fast...

cnh

Joey_V wrote: »

This is what greeted me home this morning after my 24 hour shift... Much better than the backside of any Ferrari.

What a cutey! I remember when my daughter was that age. FREEZE TIME? Good luck with that. I can identify with Ken above: my daughter is 17, just got accepted or wait-listed at about 8 Universities, has to decide and I'll be driving her out next fall!

Don't BLINK! Hey, isn't that a Dr. Who thing? lol

It may seem fast now, but the older she gets/you get the FASSSTTTEEERRRR IT will seem, FLASH! You'll be surprised just HOW fast you can MOVE through TIME! lol

I sometimes think my life was the brief length of time between two subway stops. Time to get off soon.

Enjoy!

Joey_V

I would give everything I have/own up just to freeze time... even if I can't freeze myself from aging, but I enjoy my daughter at this age.

polkfarmboy

Joey what is your profession? Do you own a ferrari? I am gona get one from ebay lol.

tonyb

Joey_V wrote: »

Time is the best part of life. Not money, not material things.

Well said Sir. Refreshing to see someone at your age who "gets it". Enjoy life pal, you only have one to live.

Can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that once a baby entered the picture it changed everything for me.

EndersShadow

tonyb wrote: »

Joey_V wrote: »

Time is the best part of life. Not money, not material things.

Well said Sir. Refreshing to see someone at your age who "gets it". Enjoy life pal, you only have one to live.

Can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that once a baby entered the picture it changed everything for me.

Agreed. For every time I am tired of watching Frozen for the 100th time, watching her eyes light up when it comes on, or snuggling with me while it goes makes it all worth it.

And now that its getting warmer its even more fun since we have been going on bike rides outside for extended periods of time.

deronb1

A huge reason I got into teaching was to have more family time. I was gone a lot during my 10 yrs in the Army. After I got out, took a


Sales job that was equally demanding of my time. Got pretty tired working 12 hr days, making money for other people. I'll never get rich teaching, but really, the pay isn't too bad for working around 1300 hrs a year.

Wife and kids are happier as am I. Great thread! Its nice to refocus now and then and share some real, important thoughts

Joey_V

polkfarmboy wrote: »

Joey what is your profession? Do you own a ferrari? I am gona get one from ebay lol.

I have 2 periods of my life based on impact:

Before Emma and After Emma.

Before Emma, I was at the dealer talking to the salesguy about purchasing the MB SLS.

After Emma, I was looking at something with 4 doors.

So no I don't have a Ferrari - and the wife has vetoed the idea of a nicer car for myself until we are in a better financial situation - probably will take me another 3 years to really solidify my finances.



i

tonyb wrote: »

Joey_V wrote: »

Time is the best part of life. Not money, not material things.

Well said Sir. Refreshing to see someone at your age who "gets it". Enjoy life pal, you only have one to live.

Can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that once a baby entered the picture it changed everything for me.

Thanks tony bro

ZLTFUL

There will always be time for the toys...but there will never be enough time with your family.
Way to prioritize man. Keeping the eye on the prize makes everything else just icing on the cake.

gurot1

I was just talking to my buddy the other day how time seems to be speeding up the older we get and now with having kids it's like a time warp. Remember bringing the first one home after she was born. Lol the seatbelt in her car seat was monstrous compared to her...then a year later her feet are hanging out over the carseat!

Joey_V

I hate time warp