Handling interruptions...or do you?

Aggggghhhhh!!!! So the past few weeks have a Struggle with a capital S.

My 3 1/2 year old is usually fabulous about letting me balance play time with her with housework and working on my 4 (yes, 4) part time jobs.

Lately though, she's been super attention-needy, and wanting me to play with her literally 24/7. I end bouncing back and forth between giving in and regretting my work piling up and overwhelming me and therefore putting me in a bad mood, or resisting her and then feeling guilty or like a bad mommy as she whines/complains/walks-off-talking-to-herself-about-being-lonely.

Sigh.

I'm hoping this is just a stage, but right now there's really nothing I can cut back on or change in my schedule. I have the jobs I have because we need the money. And I enjoy them! I also don't want to miss this time I have with her, I know these young years fly by so quickly. I realize that she needs to learn to play alone and self entertain, and she truly does a LOT. Or has been, anyway. And that that is good for her and I'm not actually a bad mom for not letting everything go to pot to play Barbies or school or ponies or Scooby Doo games. But still. I KNOW that. Hard to feel it.

Moms, how do YOU handle it? Maybe I need fresh ideas! I had thought Christmas and a flood of new toys would help but I think it made it worse because now she wants to play all the new stuff WITH me. lol

Either way, I need to learn to be more patient with interruptions. It's really hard for me to be yanked out of my concentrating zone so repeatedly for what is often not a legitimate reason on her part but more likely a ploy for attention. The majority of my jobs from home require writing or editing or reading, and it makes it hard to be so back and forth in concentration. But that's no excuse for getting snappy or impatient or frustrated. I want to be a good model.

The tricky part is she is social and does several things (pre-school 3 days a week, dance class once a week and AWANAS at church) on her own, but I can't take advantage of that time she's away because I either have to take her to said class or church event and wait on campus for her, or if she's at school I'm usually working at my away-from-home part time job.

Sorry this blog is such a mess! Sort of thinking while I type. Thanks for allowing my vent! I know I will these days one day when she's grown and doesn't want my attention at all, and that my family is truly my first priority, but I still have to function in the meantime. She won't be a teenager for awhile ;)

Any suggestions, mommies?