Working for the Weekend

By Wednesday afternoon – heck, even Monday afternoon –  the grumbles start and coworkers throughout the office, city, world can be heard declaring: “I’m over this week! Is it Friday yet?!”

Indeed, I find myself at the start of any given week eagerly anticipating the next weekend’s adventure. Surprisingly, I have more to do on weekends now than I did in my pre-child days. Sometimes I’ll find myself wondering about how I used to fill my pre-child weekends, because I really cannot remember now. Most Saturdays have been claimed by a fun activity or family time, and others are ordained for staying home and doing nothing at all. Because of its ability to bend to the needs and desires of all members of the family, Saturday is a rare treat.

A traditional Monday through Friday workweek with two back-to-back days off is still relatively new to me and so the novelty is great. As a student, the weekends were packed with homework and music lessons. Then, my weekends were spent working retail or tending to the “emergency” situations that arise when your boss puts the employees last, making them work weekends purely for profit. When I applied for my current job two years ago, my first question was: “which days and hours will I be expected to work and do I have to work weekends?” Because I was done working weekends.

I feel that there is no faster way to burnout than a work schedule that lacks scheduling routine. When you cannot make future plans because your boss doesn’t release next week’s work schedule until three days prior, or they change your schedule at the last minute because it turns out that they don’t need you today after all . . . all of this is endlessly maddening. I love structure; I thrive within its confines. For any free spirits out there reading this and cringing: I know that sounds like an oxymoron! How can a person feel free because they are confined? For me, knowing that I am guaranteed two regular days off allows me to not think about it at all. Without the constant wonder of when will I have time for this? I can instead think about other things, like what fun I might fill next Saturday with.

Working full time is demanding, no matter how the schedule is structured. So by Wednesday afternoon, I’m not just thinking about the weekend break, I am craving it. For both fun and challenging reasons, I am always working for the weekend!

My question is this: is it okay to work for the weekend? Or is it a problem? I can’t decide if it’s bad because I’m wishing my weekdays away or good because it shows that I am looking forward to spending time with the people I love the most. Sure, there is happiness and fun found on a Tuesday night around the dinner table, and Thursday has previously been declared the best day of the week, but Saturday is the day on which I hang my hat, week after week.

I’d love to know your thoughts are on this topic! Which is your favorite day and why?