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
Alexis limo rentals ..Here are some things that you can do to help... Read More
Home-schooling provides children with a superior education. Parents can quickly... Read More
The key to lifelong learning is reading and writing. When... Read More
I used to have a really challenging job. It was... Read More
"Walk through any toy store and you will see walls... Read More
They Spur Members To Grow EmotionallyTatiana Tannenbaum grappled with a... Read More
(Excerpted from Jim Rohn's 2004 Weekend Leadership Event)You have to... Read More
WHEN AN INJURY HAPPENS AT CAMP, HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED... Read More
A great many parents are concerned that the electronic games... Read More
There are millions of young children in this country who... Read More
It is hard to believe that summer is coming to... Read More
Here is a list of ways to convey the message... Read More
There's a new trend for party entertainment. It seems as... Read More
If there are any parents reading this who are thinking... Read More
Maintaining a safe home environment for your childrenAs adults and... Read More
One of the most difficult parts of being a father... Read More
Public education in the United States has never been equal... Read More
I had my first two children on either side of... Read More
Lead is one of the most dangerous toxins a person... Read More
Is your weekly shopping trip with the kids an absolute... Read More
If you are like most people today, you do not... Read More
The formula is pretty straightforward: energy in/energy out. This is... Read More
Often, the struggle at dinnertime with your picky eater is... Read More
Discipline is a necessary part of parenting yet it makes... Read More
Oh Please, Don't Say Maybe!!!!Are you often a participant in... Read More
car service from Midway Alsip ..Winnie the Pooh is the classic picture of Inattentive ADHD.... Read More
Is your baby approaching his or her first birthday and... Read More
Here are some things that you can do to help... Read More
Thank you to all of our professional educators who dedicate... Read More
There are a lot of sophisticated parenting theories and techniques... Read More
In elementary school it's pretty straightforward: bringing in cupcakes to... Read More
There is nothing quite like hiking with small children. The... Read More
Although, not a well publicized statistic, childhood obesity has more... Read More
(Isaiah 11:6 KJV) The wolf also shall dwell with the... Read More
The question I have for you drives right to the... Read More
Sitterphobe "I never have a second to myself," this mother... Read More
AD/HD (attention deficit disorder) is one of the most common... Read More
Along with eating healthier we need to be more active.... Read More
The first year of a child's life is the most... Read More
A parent writes in, ``We are having a hard time... Read More
A while ago I received this story from David in... Read More
1. The Law of the BeastAs parents we need to... Read More
Despite the potentially dangerous side-effects of Ritalin, public school authorities... Read More
What's in a name? Er?well, everything, really! Of course your... Read More
How can two or three children in the same family... Read More
As with everything, names go through cycles of change with... Read More
"Before every action, ask yourself: Will this bring more monkeys... Read More
Corolle Paul or Emma Drink-and-Wet SET potty dollsThis is the... Read More
Are men to blame for the divorce problem in this... Read More
Voices have a way of falling into a pattern, not... Read More
Parenting |