I am at the bottom of the pile at work; the pit shoveller, the pleb, the shit kicker …. and other such colourful descriptive words to describe the person who gets to be bossed around by everyone.  This position is by choice. Me being in a base level job, with its perks (ie school hols) means that the children get a meaningful school holiday every 10 weeks, meaning they can have a good rest between terms. My kids have never attended holiday care, haven’t been “latchkey kids”, haven’t had to be at home sick by themselves because “mummy had to work”.  I am there when they leave in the morning, and home early enough in the afternoon to supervise homework and afternoon activities. I can cook a healthy meal from scratch, make homemade muffins, and have time to sew clothing and gifts. I attend assemblies, volunteered in the tuckshop, made fancy dress costumes, cooked cupcakes for birthdays, and generally be an unpaid taxi.
But, just as there is little recognition at work, there is none at home either. For all that I work, my work isn’t valued. I get this vague appreciation, but its mostly based on my availability and the fact that I pick up the reins, while the important work gets done. I don’t feel smart … or accomplished.  I don’t think my work impresses anyone, and really, I don’t feel like anyone cares all that much about my work.   I appreciate the technical challenges that my husband faces daily, and certainly his project management and negotiating skills have had to improve to cope with the added challenges of his job.   But what sort of appreciation do I get ….. being available?
