Four More Days....

When Jackson was about eleven months old I started thinking about how I could make some extra money. The most obvious thing to do was to watch kids out of the house. I have my degree in early childhood education, was a teacher for years and I'm home, taking care of Jackson anyway, so what's the big deal adding more kids? I quickly found some kiddos to watch. It kind of fell in my lap. The boy across the street needed new daycare, and a little girl who used to go to his daycare needed new care too. It was easy money. Or so I thought. I started watching all three of them and quickly got them on the same schedule. They got along moderately well, and it really wasn't three times as hard as watching one. I just made more of the lunch I'd make Jackson. I'd have to put three kids to bed instead of one, which could be difficult, but they were all good sleepers, so I usually got a break. I had to change three times the diapers. There's no way to make that easier. I just changed a lot of diapers. But here was the problem. I was miserable! When it was just Jackson and I, we would go out almost every day. We'd meet friends for playdates, or story time. We'd go shopping. We'd just get out! Now, I was trapped at home. Trapped with no mental stimulation. Trapped with nothing to do but think about how miserable I was. In all honesty, I think this past year of my life has been the hardest year of my life, mentally. I've made lots of progress, but I still think that watching kids is not a good choice for me. First of all, it doesn't pay for shit. I could work at McDonald's and make more money an hour than watching kids. It's simply not worth my time and stress it brings me. Also, watching kids is hindering me from going full force on what it is I really want to be doing with my life, selling real estate. But here's the problem. I can't not pull in income on a regular basis. Real estate pays really well, when you can get it, but you never know when you are going to get it, so I need to find a way to either make money or save money on a regular basis to make real estate work. That's where the move comes in. We will save enough money by moving that I can focus on where I want my career to go and still be with Jackson. Now, I only have childcare income for the next four days. The kid I watch starts his new daycare next Monday. They had to start then to get a great financial incentive. I don't blame them. So now I need to find a renter for our house and get moved into the new place. I need this to work out. I need to not watch kids anymore. I need my real estate career to take off. So, please, send me your business. I promise I'll take good care of you. It's what I love doing!