soulexpressn

So I made it the weekend sober. Now it's Monday. My normal daily routine is to drive home from work, and stop at one of the local stores after work to pick up my bottles. I get home, make dinner, and start drinking.

I know meetings would probably be a great idea. I have excuses for that too. I have to pick up my daughter from school by 6. Get dinner together, and wait for hubby to get home at 9.

Time Warp is playing on my playlist. Thoughts of drunk karaoke make me cringe..lol.

How do full time working mom's with a family, and a household find the time and energy to make it to an meeting?

in advance... Excuse or not, I want to stay sober, and I tried it last time without meetings and a sponser. I just need some ideas.

RufusACanal

soulexpressn,

Maybe it's not a scheduling dilemma for most, but a life decision. Anything that is important enough gets the grease; even the squeaky wheel. Maybe you are not ready for the changes necessary to live free, but if you are:

Don't drink, go to meetings, ask a woman to Sponsor you, buy the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous... follow directions and change your entire life.

Best to you!

GlassPrisoner

Consider the alternative. No job, no house, no kids........

I'm a single dad of a 16 YO daughter with a full time job. I sponsor 2 guys, have lot's of commitments, go to 5 or 6 meetings a week, and still have a little time for "myself" everynow and then.

reed

I spent plenty of time drinking and bar hopping during the weeks and weekends and many many many moons of drinking and smoking and carrying on.

I trust try to channel a fraction of that energy into AA meeting time whenever I need it.

It works.

sailorjohn

One idea, I go to several meetings at churches while Mom/Dad/Grandma attend the meeting, the child, usually well behaved btw, sits in the hallway. A lot of things to think about, what should be more important, putting a lot of time in the program so that you can be a healthy parent to your child, or spending a lot of time preparing dinner?

soulexpressn

Thank you. My husband came home today, and told me he got a promotion. His new hours are 8:00 - 4:30...

I agree with everything everyone said. I always find a way to do other things.

CarolD

I found a meeting at 7 A.M.
I liked starting my day with AA.

My home group has noon meetings
and many working Mom's attend

Good to see you are making progress.

CarolD

Ever heard the term "God Shots"?

You just had one

Miss Pink

You find the time the same way youd find the time to get chemo therapy if you had cancer.

This IS life or death. Treat it as such.

Tazman53

I will share with you what my councilor told me the last day I was in detox when I told him the yes I will go to AA and get a sponsor, but I am married with kids and work full time, there is no way I can go to 90 AA meetings in 90 days! He asked me to just promise him one thing:

I was willing to do what ever it took to stay stopped, when he said that, I realized that if I found the time to get my booze every day and drink every day, I would have no problem going to a meeting every day, getting a sponsor and working the steps!

Ask your self the following questions:

1. Are you willing to go to any lengths to stay sober this time?

2. Are you willing to spend as much time on your recovery as you did drinking?

If you drank like I did and you want to recover as badly as I did, you will have no problem finding the time to go to a meeting a day and working the steps with a sponsor.

The last time I found it neccessary to have a drink was Sept. 18th, 2006, I did it one day at a time, one step at a time with my sponsor, with the help of my Higher Power that the steps allowed me to find, and for the first 90+ days of my sobriety I spent as much if not more time working on my recovery then I did drinking.

When I was drinking I ALWAYS had the will and found a way to get my booze, in order to stay sober I have to use the same amount of effort to work my recovery one day at a time.

Signal30

An average day for me...

I work third shift, rotating off days, and have a family.

Get up at 4PM.

4to 5PM I straighten up the house and make dinner.

My fiencee and son get home from work and daycare around 5. I eat with them and spend time with them until about 6:45 PM.

At 6:45PM I leave to go to a 7PM AA meeting.

I get home from the meeting at about 8:30 PM.

8:30PM I Iron my work clothes, shower and get ready for work.

I'm on my way to work at around 9PM and at that time I call my sponsor.

I get at work around 9:40PM or so and read reports and prepare myself for shift.

Roll call is at 10PM and I work 10 hour shifts, (sometime longer if I have court in the morning).

I get home at around 8:30AM (if I don't have to work OT because of court), and go to bed.

Then I get up at 4PM and do everything all over again.

When my off days are during the week I clean the house, and run other errands I don't have the time for on my workdays.

When my off days are on the weekends I spend the majority of my time with my family, and in the evening on either Saturday or Sunday I go to a AA meeting in the evening, (usually a 8 or 8:30 PM meeting.)

I always have to flip my sleeping pattern from day to nights on my off days. I'm tired but yet I am sober, Serene, and happy.


I found the time for my recovery. If I didn't "have the time", I made it.


Where there's a will, there's a way.


Tom

zoomer

When I first got sober, I went to 90/90 meetings. I waited til my then husband to get home to watch the kids. I made dinner before I went or had hubby do it. There are also meetings during the day. I also used the internet to help me when I did not have time for a meeting. Right now I go to school full time, work part time and take care of the kids. I found that if I plan on making a meeting then I go,but mostly I count on the recovery sites I go to to help keep me sober until I can fix my schedule around more meetings. I think it is important though being in early sobriety to make as many FTF meetings as you can and find a sponcer. I'm at 3 and a half years sober,but If I did not put my program first in early sobriety and make it to as many meetings as I could then I would not be in a position to be able to go to school, work and take care of my kids. I owe it all to being sober. I still work the steps in all my affairs and start my day off with readings. My program comes first even if I do not make it to as many meetings as I did when I first got sober. I think getting a good foundation when you first get sober will enable you to have long term sobriety. If you cannot make it to a meeting then make it to a site that offers you some recovery. I journal everyday and have people post with suggestion or encouragment to help me with my life and sobriety. I do hope you can make it to some FTF meetings,they do help in keeping you sober.