I meant to post last night but shut down my computer before I remembered--by then I was too tired to turn it back on!!
Yesterday was one of those days where things just weren't going quite right. We had napping issues and pottying issues, and I was just in a "blah" mood anyway. All day I kept thinking, "How am I going to write a positive, upbeat post on a blog for moms when I am the exact opposite of positive and upbeat?"
Then it hit me: I don't have to always be positive and upbeat or extremely helpful. I'm a mom; I have rough days just like every other mom. So, here's your encouragement: You're not alone when you have a bad day. There's nothing wrong with you; you're not a freak:) We all have them! The best thing to do is try not to let the little things (or the big things) get you down and keep pressing forward in this journey of motherhood!
Wherever you are, find fellow moms with little ones of similar ages and get together for playdates whenever you can. You can usually find this support in your church, your neighborhood or an online networking site.
Last weekend I discovered TriangleMommies.com. I have really, really enjoyed getting to "meet" moms in the area through the forums that are offered on the site. Today I got to go to my first playdate and thoroughly enjoyed putting faces with the names I'd become acquainted with online.
TriangleMommies is part of The Mommies Network. To find a group near you, click on the link. The Mommies Network started in Charlotte, NC. It never ceases to fascinate me what moms can create when they take their knowledge of a need and turn it into a passion to fill that need! (Mom4Life is proof of that--see an earlier post about this site!)
On TriangleMommies, you can find forums for each age group, many different stages of life (young moms, older moms, moms of multiples, stepmoms, pregnancy, trying to conceive, breastfeeding, etc.) and varying common interests (cooking, health, natural living, sports, movies and entertainment, etc.).
One of the hardest things about being a stay-at-home mom, especially, is the feeling of isolation (especially in the beginning). When you can't go out yet with a newborn or are tied down with constant breastfeeding, you can get online and join a forum discussion or a live chat with other moms going through similar things.
I have had several questions about things with Allie the past several days, so I've put up a few posts with these questions. Most had responses within the hour and several answers later in the day. I got a quicker answer about if twin sheets work on a toddler bed than I did when I called my pediatrician's office about Allie's half-shut swollen eye!
Anyway, I just want this post to be an encouragement to moms who feel like they're off on an island somewhere (and not in a good suntan, Mai Tai, ultimate peace and relaxation way). You're not alone, but it's up to you to find a strong system to surround you. Let me know where you find your support!
Showing posts with label SAHM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SAHM. Show all posts
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Toughest, Best Job on Earth
Motherhood doesn't come with a manual. In the morning, a mom doesn't wake up and roll over to find a detailed account of how to tackle each situation of the day ahead alongside her coffee mug.
Whether you're a stay-at-home mom, a work-at-home mom or a career mom, the fact remains you have to juggle at least three jobs: wife, mom and household coordinator. The function of a coordinator means you have to keep up with everyone's schedules, manage the meals, get the groceries, handle the bills, keep up with the laundry and clean the house (among other things). That's a full-time job right there.
Our society looks down on the importance and difficulty involved in being a mother. Stay-at-home moms especially find themselves shunned and/or scrutinized for the decision they made to make their child or children their sole focus. What could they possibly have to do all day beside sit on the sofa watching soap operas and eating bon-bons. And, most people don't see any difference between a stay-at-home mom and a work-at-home mom; so the women in that category get the same reactions.
Then, you have the working mom. Well, she gets the jabs from both sides: she needs to pour it all into her job to climb that ladder; and she needs to have the perfect kids and be the perfect mom who's always there for every PTA meeting, recital or game.
What people who aren't moms don't realize is the job of mother, by itself, is THE HARDEST JOB IN THE WORLD. If anyone wants to disagree, I'd be happy to give them a moment-by-moment glimpse into my day--and I only have one child right now!
Children require total emotional, physical and mental focus throughout the day. Even when their children are tucked away in dreamland, moms replay decisions they made throughout the day, fretting over whether they chose correctly or not. Even in their sleep, moms dream they're feeding their children, dressing them, going through the routine of potty training, packing their bags and putting them together to go to the store, etc.
Being a mom is the only true 24/7/365 job. I have to be honest; I struggled with motherhood when I first had Allie. I'm sure I will dedicate later posts to that topic. I'll never forget the day it hit me that I'll never have another day off and can't call in sick. Man, did that set me into a nosedive!!
Even women blessed with the most supportive and helpful of husbands (like me) get overwhelmed at the fact that so many things rely on them. Allie wants Me to read her bedtime stories; Allie prefers sometimes for ME to take her to the potty; Allie often fusses unless she gets her dinner from ME. Plus, moms just KNOW where things go, why little ones are fussy and where the monsters hide. We understand that the pink cup is for breakfast and the blue cup is for going out to a restaurant, although it makes no sense to anyone else.
So, I write all this to encourage moms everywhere that you are amazing! You have the toughest job on the planet and juggle it with at least a couple more full-time jobs. How you do it, I'll never understand; but I do know that your job will have eternal results because you are molding, loving and training tomorrow's leaders--tell that to the CEO of some big stuffy company who wants to look down his nose at you when he learns you're "just a mom!" I don't think his million-dollar bank account and mansion with all the latest electronics can compete with eternity:)
Whether you're a stay-at-home mom, a work-at-home mom or a career mom, the fact remains you have to juggle at least three jobs: wife, mom and household coordinator. The function of a coordinator means you have to keep up with everyone's schedules, manage the meals, get the groceries, handle the bills, keep up with the laundry and clean the house (among other things). That's a full-time job right there.
Our society looks down on the importance and difficulty involved in being a mother. Stay-at-home moms especially find themselves shunned and/or scrutinized for the decision they made to make their child or children their sole focus. What could they possibly have to do all day beside sit on the sofa watching soap operas and eating bon-bons. And, most people don't see any difference between a stay-at-home mom and a work-at-home mom; so the women in that category get the same reactions.
Then, you have the working mom. Well, she gets the jabs from both sides: she needs to pour it all into her job to climb that ladder; and she needs to have the perfect kids and be the perfect mom who's always there for every PTA meeting, recital or game.
What people who aren't moms don't realize is the job of mother, by itself, is THE HARDEST JOB IN THE WORLD. If anyone wants to disagree, I'd be happy to give them a moment-by-moment glimpse into my day--and I only have one child right now!
Children require total emotional, physical and mental focus throughout the day. Even when their children are tucked away in dreamland, moms replay decisions they made throughout the day, fretting over whether they chose correctly or not. Even in their sleep, moms dream they're feeding their children, dressing them, going through the routine of potty training, packing their bags and putting them together to go to the store, etc.
Being a mom is the only true 24/7/365 job. I have to be honest; I struggled with motherhood when I first had Allie. I'm sure I will dedicate later posts to that topic. I'll never forget the day it hit me that I'll never have another day off and can't call in sick. Man, did that set me into a nosedive!!
Even women blessed with the most supportive and helpful of husbands (like me) get overwhelmed at the fact that so many things rely on them. Allie wants Me to read her bedtime stories; Allie prefers sometimes for ME to take her to the potty; Allie often fusses unless she gets her dinner from ME. Plus, moms just KNOW where things go, why little ones are fussy and where the monsters hide. We understand that the pink cup is for breakfast and the blue cup is for going out to a restaurant, although it makes no sense to anyone else.
So, I write all this to encourage moms everywhere that you are amazing! You have the toughest job on the planet and juggle it with at least a couple more full-time jobs. How you do it, I'll never understand; but I do know that your job will have eternal results because you are molding, loving and training tomorrow's leaders--tell that to the CEO of some big stuffy company who wants to look down his nose at you when he learns you're "just a mom!" I don't think his million-dollar bank account and mansion with all the latest electronics can compete with eternity:)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
