I've come to appreciate what mothers do more than I ever have before. I now have a job working with little 6 year old boy in a wheel chair. I pick him up after school, feed and diaper him, then we spend the rest of the evening outside singing kid songs at the top of our lungs. He's fixated on Eensy Weensy Spider, and the Hokey Pokey right now. I think I've now sung these songs 5 gazillion times, and it's only been two weeks :) The parents of the boy aren't doing well physically, so I've also started going in the mornings to cook the (eight) kids breakfast and clean up the house a little.
Realizations: College doesn't prepare someone for being a mom! In the last two weeks I've felt like my brain was slowly melting away. I swear I had a bigger vocabulary last week. In college you get satisfaction from doing well, and little rewards like completing small assignments, doing well on a test, and getting a good grade. Besides that there's interaction with people who discuss ideas from the centuries, which then promotes mind growth and intellectual enlightenment. How does that prepare you for the Hokey Pokey? We need something that shows us small and simple ways to still feel like an adult with a personality and brain, when all we do is spend our days cooking/diapering/singing/throwing a ball.
Yes, I am very aware that these aren't my kids, but I've been doing a "mother type" role for an eensy weensy bit of time and I wonder how real moms do it? I also know that not every mother has a six year old that likes to hit you in the face when you're changing his diaper (he broke one person's nose, but so far all I have is a scratch under my eye). So, moms, I think you're basically amazing, and I'd like some ideas for ways to still use my brain!!!!
Another thing college didn't prepare me for: making big breakfasts. All I do is breakfast, and so far it's been a 50/50 chance of getting something that actually worked out. The German pancake was great, but the scrambled eggs were thrown in the garbage once I tasted them :P I'm a pro at microwaved eggs for ONE. Cooking dinner every night for a family has always been a concern for me, because 1. it's been awhile since I cooked for more than one person. 2. I eat strange food that nobody else thinks palatable (microwaved eggs for instance). Then there's the fact that the guy I'm dating adores meat and would eat steak every day if he could. I feel more and more like a vegetarian (I like fish and chicken sooo much better than red meat) day by day. I'm feeilng ill prepared for this real world stuff. I'm much better at writing papers and taking tests.
The cleaning part of my job is all good. I've been a janitor, and worked in a group home where the blinds were cleaned weekly. At least in one eensy weensy, itty bitty way I'm prepared for real life.
Really though, send me some advice on keeping your brain alive once life changes!!!! Does anyone want to discuss the economical theory of religion with me? How about the benefits of the NEO Personality Inventory versus the Judging/Perceiving type? Anyone?
3 comments:
Motherhood is a great job but it is a thankless job,
the way personally I keep my sanity is by reading and reading and then reading some more. I also blog which is a huge therapeutic outlet for me, also by joining a few online lds mom communities I can vent and get advise from women that might be going or already gone through what I'm going through and online book clubs.
I have a lot of friend but I find that none of them know how to work a phone, so the internet is a life saver for me.
also having another person to share the responsibilities with helps a ton. someone that at the end of the day comes home and tells you "honey you've done great" even thought the house still a mess.
Paola you're great, and you always give the best advice :D Thanks!!!!
I have to admit that I definately need some adult input at the end of the day. I think that is a big reason why we are supposed to go on a date a week, it garauntees some adult interaction for Mom. I also enjoy philosophy (can you tell it has been three years since I attended any kind of class?) While my husband has the one vehicle at work, I am more closely tied to home. This means that either I go see my mom (cause I can walk there) or I stay at home and hope the world will come to me. All in all, if you have friends you can call when you feel in need of stimulation, it definately helps. I totally reccommend living near people you enjoy being with. I have a friend in Salt Lake who loves being an SAHM, but would not be a jittery one if she lived down here near friends.
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