I met you the other day. You were tending a couple small girls. We chatted a bit, and you told me if I needed a sitter for the summer you had openings.
I told you I stayed home, and you said, "Ah. Built in babysitting."
I just laughed, said, "something like that" and the conversation moved on to something else.
I've been thinking about that. I said the wrong thing. I want to tell you that being a mother is so, so much more than built in babysitting.
I chose this career for myself, you know. It's the only one I ever really wanted. Because "no success can compensate for failure in the home."
These children are everything to me. I am happy when they are happy and when they make good choices. I am sad when they get hurt - physically or emotionally. I stay up worrying about sleep training and eating habits and bedwetting and what to do when they just won't mind. I worry about sending them to school and how they'll adjust to the new baby.
I try teach them to be kind and loving, hard-working and fun-loving. I want them to be smart and strong and active. I think about how to help them along. I wonder when to step in and when to let them solve their own problems.
I teach them about Jesus and how much He loves them too. I teach them to pray. I take them to church and try to be an good example for them.
I lay by them at night and hold them when they are sick. I pray for them. And for me.
I hug them, and kiss them, and tell them I love them.
I am not a built in babysitter.
I am a mother. And I love it!
-Erin
7 comments:
And you're such a good one at that. I am constantly in awe of how my sisters are such amazing mothers.
Now the next time you are having a frustrating day, not feeling like you're getting anything accomplished, you have to come back and read this post, Erin. Look at what you do. That matters so much more than any of the other stuff that sometimes gives you stress!! I love that you already know this enough to write about it so brilliantly.
I think any mother worries and thinks about all that stuff, it's just nature of being a mother no matter if you are a stay at home mom or a working mom who has a babysitter. I don't care what people say, working moms think about that stuff all day at work too and I hardly feel like it's a break! I think either way it's hard and frustrating at times and very rewarding and any mom should feel proud to just get through the day. I'm sorry to argue the working mom thing but I just had to put in my 2 cents ;)
That's exactly my point, Kyla. Most of what I DO each day - feed the kids, play with them, take them to the park - a babysitter could DO. But what I AM is different. How I feel toward my children is different. Motherhood is so much more than babysitting.
Erin...perfectly said. That is why I feel so lucky to have you as a friend. Thanks for you thoughts!
Love, love, LOVE this post. Awesome. You ROCK!!
So cute Erin!
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