The question Jamie poses this week is:
This is really at the crux of my current challenge.
What to do next?
Years
ago I was given advice by a woman with five children, spaced roughly
the same as mine, but her youngest was able to babysit my eldest. She
had always had a high-powered, big control, well-paying career, up
until she had children. At that point she gave it all up to stay home
and care for the little beasts. When I met her she was trying to figure
out whether or not she should go back to work. And, if she did, what
would she do? After all, at that point she had been out of the system
for over 20 years.
Her advice was that she should have continued to work until her eldest was around 12 - when he stopped speaking to her. She was probably right. My circumstance was a bit different and I did stay home with the intention of always staying home. Though, now that my kids are 13, 12, 10 and 9, I find myself getting a bit stir-crazy surrounded by laundry and household projects all the time.
Though
I do understand what she meant, and it is through this period of
hormones, angst and anxiety that I have my greatest challenge as
parent. I have to listen more, talk less and just be here for all of
them.
My wish is for something that will provide challenge and fulfillment while still giving me quality time with my family while they no longer speak to me.
Because it's going to be just a phase, right?