My daughter, who is three, layed on the floor today and proclaimed "I just want someone to love me" as she whined and cried. This was in response to my asking her to HAND me her brother's binky, her throwing it at me and me reminding her that it is NOT NICE to throw things at people.
As she laid there, I realized how hard this job would be on a day to day basis. How do you balance the needs of multiple kids without one of them inevitably getting their feelings hurt? It was clear that she was upset and hurt. She wanted my full attention and I wasn't and haven't been able to give it to her. Trying to balance the needs of an energetic toddler and a newborn is a huge responsibility and challenge.
Staying home is definitely an honor, but it's a job that I don't know that I could do full time. I admire women and men who can. It takes a lot more patience and sacrifice than I think I can handle. I have been spoiled with adult conversation and jokes, music and free time.
I like driving alone in the car to work, where I am more than a servant, laundry doer, dishwasher and baby diaperer. I think it's the balance that is the important part. I need to find a way to be all things...ah, there's the rub! How do you do that? How as a working mom, can you be a mom, wife, worker, etc? I think it is possible, but at some point, one or both of your "jobs" suffers.
You just can't be everything to everyone all of the time...it's just knowing how to make sure that your family is taken care of and your job is done. At the end of the day it's a balancing act, a delicate dance that requires support from friends, family and sometimes, even the stranger at the park. It is the ability to multi-task, organize, breathe and most importantly laugh.
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