I used to have a really challenging job. It was stressful and demanding, high pressure and large responsibilities.
I was really good at it too. Really, I was.
Then I became a parent.
In my old job, I was really good at delegating, training, developing and managing people...and rationalizing.
Oh, could I rationalize.
"I may have to work 60 or 70 hours a week, but I'm providing my girls with security, money for college, a comfortable life."
"Yes, I have to be out of town for a week at a time several times a year, but I'm providing a strong role model for my daughters."
I was a hard working, professional, career woman. And I was as misinformed as could be.
I used to say to my husband, "I could never not work. I'd go crazy. I don't want my life to be about Kool-Aid and paper towels."
What an idiot.
Then one day, I realized that something had happened to me. There wasn't really a defining moment, no earth-shattering epiphany. More like a gradual awakening. I realized that I wanted nothing more than to stay home making Kool-Aid for my girls.
It could have something to do with the fact that after having spent 5 months on bed rest while pregnant with my second child, the first thing I had to do was hire a nanny so I could jump on a plane to a week-long meeting in San Francisco.
Or, it could have been that while I was at this meeting, I was asked to go to Florida for 2 weeks to facilitate an acquisition. I wasn't really asked of course, more like assigned.
It just might have been seeing a picture of my oldest daughter on her first day of school. She was just about to go into her 1st grade classroom as Daddy had snapped the picture, and she looked so sad. And where was I? You guessed it...at a meeting.
Suddenly, all I could think about were my girls and what on earth was I thinking about leaving them in someone else's care?
So, I left my career behind; a bittersweet decision at the time, but I haven't looked back since. And in short order I realized that I had grossly underestimated the task before me.
There have been times when I wonder what has happened to all those professional skills.
Where is my patience when my 4-year-old has plugged up the toilet with her sister's rock collection? And where are my problem solving skills when I've foolishly volunteered to be the Cookie Manager for my daughter's girl scout troop and my little one keeps opening boxes of cookies and eating them? Where is my sense of diplomacy when someone makes even the least careless remark to one of my children?
It's a good thing I got all that experience in my other job before I got my promotion to stay-at-home parent.
So, to all the moms and dads who have dedicated themselves to caring for their precious children, consider this my deep bow of respect to you. You are the bravest, most important people in the world- doing the most challenging, important job in the world. It's the hardest job I've ever had.
--------------------------------
Sharon Davis is the Mom to two girls, the owner of 2Work-At-Home.Com, Work At Home Articles.net and the Editor of the site's monthly ezine, America's Home. In her spare time she reminisces about what it was like to have spare time.
To subscribe to her free ezine, Click Here.
This article may be reproduced providing it is published in it's entirety, including the author's bio. For a text version via autoresponder, send a blank email to thehardestjob@sendfree.com
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carI remember when my daughter was born. Visions of her... Read More
The first year of a child's life is the most... Read More
Should a parent give a child a tangible reward when... Read More
When a child is born, a new number is added... Read More
Children are moral and make moral determinations... at least until... Read More
The key to lifelong learning is reading and writing. When... Read More
A common theme over the past 20 years has been... Read More
My oldest boy is fifteen and was a real jerk... Read More
Who lives in your house? Are they driving you "crazy?"... Read More
My son, Dakota is now 7 yrs old. He is... Read More
Dear Sir, It was with some interest that I read... Read More
Homes should be run by parents, not children. So many... Read More
There are some grounds to assume that a cognitive dissonance... Read More
One of the questions I ask in parenting presentations is... Read More
Strollers offer a wonderful and convenient service to parents and... Read More
Often I will hear parents say, "I just ignore Jr.... Read More
This may come as a surprise, but many parents are... Read More
Grandparents, what better way to stay close to your grown... Read More
Attention all parents of teen-agers. Here is an important, groundbreaking... Read More
How excited do kids get with the start of school... Read More
We know that you want your little guy or gal... Read More
One of the most prevalent myths of our modern culture... Read More
1. Make stronger connections among individuals and, therefore, creates a... Read More
I have been a single mom for almost 20 years.... Read More
Q. I don't like my children spending so much time... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..A fun way to build your child's imaginationWriting is still... Read More
Being a parent is a role that requires a large... Read More
At age seven months in the womb, humans begin language... Read More
There are two methods for teaching children to read; whole... Read More
When my son was 18 (and had finished school), he... Read More
Much has been said about the "gifted child" but in... Read More
Teens don't learn responsibility overnight. If you haven't been working... Read More
We were all teens at one time for some many... Read More
When kids try new things, sometimes it's a 'fit' and... Read More
Not so long ago a dad-to-be would pace up and... Read More
We know that you want your little guy or gal... Read More
Traditionally, babies have been named at a christening/baptism.... Read More
I had my first two children on either side of... Read More
I used to have a really challenging job. It was... Read More
"All that I am or ever hope to be, I... Read More
Not too long ago my teenage daughter approached me with... Read More
Would you like your child to be the best that... Read More
Here's some of the bad news about sedentary lifestyles:? Forty... Read More
1. Encourage Questions.Don't answer every question, instead ask what do... Read More
Parents want their children to succeed in school. However, sometimes... Read More
Because most teens have not had the experience of getting... Read More
When my oldest boy was really young, he tickled my... Read More
How excited do kids get with the start of school... Read More
With the beginning of the new school year coming VERY... Read More
Mother's Day is important for children.This Mother's Day take note... Read More
Parenting |