The Joyful Drain of Parenting

My friend Leah at SecretsofMommyhood just sent me a fabulous article entitled Why don’t friends with kids have time? by Carolyn Hax at the Washington Post.  I’ve been tossing around the idea of posting an entry about how crazy it is being a stay-at-home-mom . . . but Hax captures it quite nicely.  I think my working-momma and daddy friends can relate as well.

You can read the internet article click HERE.

My email response back to Leah . . . Can I wear this on my t-shirt?  Or my forehead?  Ha ha.  Or I’ll just post it to my blog.  That would work too :).

While I have been met with much more support than judgment in our family’s decision for me to be a stay-at-home mom, there are definitely times I admittedly feel less-than productive when compared with a whole host of other people.  I mean, it’s a good day if the beds are made and the dishes are clean.  I won’t tell you about what’s sticking to my floors, or growing in my bathroom, or the dust bunnies that play under our beds.  I often think back to my working days and marvel at how much I could accomplish in an eight hour space of time.  To accomplish the same today I might need eight weeks.

But productivity really is a matter of perspective.  While Hax’s article certainly validates lots of my crazy-mommy-feelings, it also reminds me what a productive job it is to be a parent.  There are little people that are being shaped right under my nose, and I get to play a part in that process.  How intimidating.  How incredible.  How fabulously amazing.

Parenting is a joy, and yes it’s draining in more ways that I could possibly describe.  But I’ll take on that joyful drain any day, every day, a thousand times over.  I can’t imagine a more productive way to spend this season of my life than to spend it parenting Elijah and Noah.