Was it John Farnham who sang something about taking the pressure down? Well, thank goodness, we’re finally listening Whispering Jack! You see, time has been my enemy ever since my son was born but I am fighting back, trying to reclaim a sliver of self imposed extravagance, in the shape of “free time”. And as such, I have indulged it what I once considered the ultimate form of elitism – I have hired a cleaner!

 Oh I do feel so decadent and devious all at the same time, PAYING someone to do something I know how to do myself but what it has done, is bought me something utterly priceless – a few hours of freedom! Pre parenthood, I always offhandedly commented how there never seemed to be enough hours in the day. Looking back, I shake my head incredulously and wonder what the bloody hell did I ever do with my time??!! I must have had seemingly endless silken bolts of freedom to do with whatever I so chose; yet I can’t quite recall looking at it with such delicious intent as I do now. Perhaps that’s because I don’t have much – if any – in a day, week, month now so when it comes my way I treasure it with such reverence it could be the Holy flippin Grail!

 I’m not alone, I know; parents the world over, and especially those with more children than just one, are surely in worse shape than me, but you still cant help but feel the pull of the tide washing over you and forcing you beneath its murky depths when you think about all the things you must attempt to achieve in your week. Throw rejoining the workforce back into the mix and you suddenly seem to have inherited another few juggling balls to handle. Try fitting 15 loads of washing, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning bathrooms, cooking a weeks worth of frozen lunches, dinners and fruit snacks for your son – oh and of course looking after your child and keeping him entertained of course – into 4 days and tell me how much spare time you have left over for little old you? And that’s just the selfish part speaking as you also want to do something frivolous with your little family away from the home.

You see why I say you might just drown with the thought of all of that hanging over your head? Or am I just stating this all in a vain attempt to justify this excessiveness to myself? Whatever the case, the fact remains that now I no longer feel the heavy burden of chores hanging over my head, I’ve welcomed the return of the eminently more cheery and relaxed me! I can breathe again people, I can breeeeeeaaaaathe!

So K Rudd, you should be proud of me – not only am I saving my sanity I am stimulating the economy. I’d call that a win/win situation, wouldn’t you?