Friday, February 16, 2007

Parents' Balancing Act

Being a mom is no easy chore. We all want our children to lead fulfilling lives. Finding ways to nurture their talents, help them become independent and find some sort of spirituality is tough. Don't forget feedings, bathings & good snuggling. When you throw into the mix the thought of working a full-time "out of the home" job, it just gets tougher.

I work three, very full days each week, plus some nights & weekends. I've just decided to extend Little K's nursery school day to later in the day so I can complete more work. Is this the best choice, I wonder. My friend Ashley has reminded me that this, too, can take an adjustment for all family members but in the end, I have to make the best decision for my daughter. Luckily, we've found a nursery school that Little K thrives in. Still, I love being with her, watching her learn from so many new experiences and I'd hate to miss those. For now, we'll focus on the time we have together and ensure it's quality time. I recognize that so many parents struggle with a similar dilemma and we all make the best decisions we can. When my daughter grows up, I want her to feel whole, to know she is loved and be confident in her talents and abilities. Even mommies & daddies need to feel good about these things. How do you manage it as a parent?

Until the next nap time...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you'll find that K will be just fine with the longer day and you will be able to get a lot more done in those few extra hours - maybe you'll be able to skip some of the evening and weekend time you have been spending on work and have that time back with your fmaily. It will take K a little while to adjust to the longer day, but lots of her friends are there all day (like C - all the REALLY cool kids stay all day :-)) and she will figure out pretty quickly that it just gives her more time to play with her buds and you are still coming to get her at the end of the day. My Mom is in town for a long visit and we have taken C down to just Tuesday and Thursday 9-3 for 2 weeks. Wednesday night I was telling C that she would be going to school the next day and she promptly asked for K - I guess she had missed seeing her!

Kids Activity Queen said...

How funny! Kylie has been telling me "No C today". What cute buddies. We're looking forward to C returning full time & thanks for your vote of confidence. Yesterday was K's first full day and she said she had fun. She was more tired than usual but that's fine. Hope to see you all soon.