I just had a realization as I’ve spent the last hour or so trying to ignore the demands of my lovely children. In the old days, when we all arrived home around 6, I pretty much bolted into the kitchen, made myself a cocktail and started dinner. No one wanted to help so I was left alone. Mr. Geeky often retreated to his office and the kids plopped in front of the tv or escaped to their rooms for the 1/2 hour or so before dinner. Everyone was pretty worn out and needed down time before engaging with the family.

On Mondays, I teach. I usually go in at 10 to plan out the week with my co-teacher, grab some lunch, finish up some prep things for class and then teach until 4. I am home by 4:30. Mr. Geeky and the kids have been home since 3 or 4 and everybody kind of pounces on me. Since it’s not dinner time yet and there’s nothing really to be done and no one’s as tired as they were in the old days, there’s a lot more demand for interaction and I’m finding I’m just not in the mood. I mean, I’ve put in a full day, most of it interacting with people. I need to be alone!

Yeah, I know I sound like the 1950s dad who came home and put on his slippers and began reading the paper, ignoring the rest of the family. Well, I’m here to say, I get it. And it’s really only one day a week that it’s an issue.

Someone, somewhere will claim I’m terrible mom. Well, I don’t care. I’m human.