Ginevra Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Spinning off of my own poll! :D Do you think people have a level of busy-ness that is how they like to be? So, for example, someone who was busy when they had only one child does not get incrementally busier with each additional child, but rather they stay approximately as busy with different things. When they had only one child, they still "created" ways to be busy. Maybe they made amazing scrapbooks or Halloween costumes or orchestrated the Mother Of All Birthday Parties. Then, once they had additional children, they might have slacked off on those things, but replaced it with learning Latin, dual math programs and having the kids on swim team. I think this of myself. I wonder what in the world I did with my time when I only had one or two little kids, but I didn't think I had a lot of free time then, either. I do remember being fastidious about my car and I washed it constantly. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I think that it is probably true that people had a set busyness level. I, however, prefer my previous methods of keeping busy to my current ones. With two kids, we did a LOT more field trips and outings. Now my days are full just staying home most of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Yes, I actually think this is the case. I know people who are perpetually busy, to the point of being overwhelmed, unable to do anything spontaneous because they are always in a hurry running from one thing to the next. They don't have time to talk on the phone because they are so busy. And then there are people who are rather relaxed and who, despite having equally demanding jobs and as many children as the first group, find time for hobbies, spontaneous dinner invitations, conversations and give a rather unhurried impression. DH and I belong to the second group. We have friends who work the same jobs and belong to the first. And my friend with five kids is as relaxed as we are. I really believe people choose how busy they want to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Yes, I actually think this is the case.I know people who are perpetually busy, to the point of being overwhelmed, unable to do anything spontaneous because they are always in a hurry running from one thing to the next. They don't have time to talk on the phone because they are so busy. And then there are people who are rather relaxed and who, despite having equally demanding jobs and as many children as the first group, find time for hobbies, spontaneous dinner invitations, conversations and give a rather unhurried impression. DH and I belong to the second group. We have friends who work the same jobs and belong to the first. And my friend with five kids is as relaxed as we are. I really believe people choose how busy they want to be. I agree. We are a part of the second group as well. We will never be the rushing around, constantly busy sort. We like to stare at our belly buttons and introspect way too much. ;)My sister is part of the constantly busy no matter how many kids she had- even when she was in high school she was a part of every club and finding things to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I know I do. If I don't have enough to do, I get bored, which turns into thinking too much, which leads to depression over things I can't control. (Issues...I know) I like staying moderately busy. However, I am also very good at putting too much on my plate and burning out. I think I'm beginning to see a happy medium, but it is hard for me. I don't think I could never just be content to just "be". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I don't know. I prefer to be and usually am much less busy than I am right now. Sometimes busy-ness is thrust upon one (iPhone tried to change that to bustiness, HA!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 I don't know. I prefer to be and usually am much less busy than I am right now. Sometimes busy-ness is thrust upon one (iPhone tried to change that to bustiness, HA!!). :lol: Bustiness has never been thrust on me! :lol: (At me maybe...) It is true that sometimes the logistics of what you are actually taking on simply makes busy-ness a fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Some people seem to like being busy more than others. I have noticed that there are people who aren't all that comfortable with being alone, and/or don't need much time for quiet, contemplation etc; they want to be on the go all the time they're awake. Also the appearance of busy-ness seems to vary. Some people will do things in such a calm and smooth way that you hardly notice how much they do, while others are prone to bustling about and appearing busy even when they haven't got much happening. I definitely have an optimum level of busy. At this stage of life I am often having to consciously choose not to do things in order to avoid getting frantically busy. I really value having days when we don't have to go out, time to meditate, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I know I do. If I don't have enough to do, I get bored, which turns into thinking too much, which leads to depression over things I can't control. I know this feeling and I am the same way - up to a point. I need to have enough to do (and I get depressed when I don't work during summer break and Christmas), but I still don't feel as if I never have time for anything. I am probably doing as many things as some other people, but it does not make me feel hurried or stressed out, it just gives me the level of activity I need. So, I do not even think it has anything to do with how much a person actually does, but more with the mind set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Some people seem to like being busy more than others. I have noticed that there are people who aren't all that comfortable with being alone, and/or don't need much time for quiet, contemplation etc; they want to be on the go all the time they're awake. Also the appearance of busy-ness seems to vary. Some people will do things in such a calm and smooth way that you hardly notice how much they do, while others are prone to bustling about and appearing busy even when they haven't got much happening. I definitely have an optimum level of busy. At this stage of life I am often having to consciously choose not to do things in order to avoid getting frantically busy. I really value having days when we don't have to go out, time to meditate, etc. :iagree: with all but my own level of busy. I prefer not to be busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Yes and no. I think I have always been busy like the Op suggested, when I only had 1-2 kids I cross-stitched, and scrapbooked, and baked and decorated cakes. And then I had more kids, and all the kids got bigger and had their own acitivities so the first bunch of stuff was put aside. At the same time I have have periods of not having control over how busy I am. It is in relation to the kids mental health and behaviours. What was a reasonable level of busy-ness, with some wiggle room, becomes overwhelmingly constricting. Suddenly we have trips to teh city(2 hrs away), or to the shrink (1 hr away), or other such appts, and things to take care of that eat away hours of the day and must be done. There is no way to cut back on teh level of busyness when that stuff comes up and everything else must still go on and be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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