Matthew is 7 weeks old today. I have been at home (or in the hospital) for 7 weeks. I have worked full time for the last 9 years, at least 40 hours every week, usually more. I have been able to clock in and out and leave work at work, except of course when I'm a manager and occasionally need to bring work home. I am unable to do that now.
I have a new respect for stay-at-home parents, single parents, and every other type of parent. Being a stay-at-home-mom is not easy. Many times it is thankless work, it is exhausting 24 hours a day-7 days a week type of work. It is humbling to realize that your boss is someone who can't sleep through the night, or someone who has to use a stool to wash her hands. Many times I wake up tired, (right now that's because of the infant who doesn't sleep through the night) some days I don't take a shower until 9pm, and my shirt ends up being the tissue for noses as well as eyes.
On the days when I don't want to speak to another child, or pick up a crying infant, or answer another question...I hear my girls laugh while they're playing, I get to help Jack with his homework and hear about his day, I get to cuddle with Matthew, I play a game with them and see how happy they are with something so simple, I make cookies with them and get to teach them as well as enjoy chocolate...those are the things that make it worth it.
Being a parent is hard, I've never heard anyone say otherwise. Over the past 7 weeks I have determined that I would rather have the stay-at-home-mom kind of hard over working full-time hard. Being a mom is fulfilling and gratifying and so very worth all the frustrations and tears that I shed over my own inadequacies.
No comments:
Post a Comment