aerinea_faerie

What I need is one or two hours a day to myself. Just that little bit of time, preferably during daylight.

I need that time. Time to work on sewing projects like outfits for myself and my husband, or to make clothes for dolls. Or read. Just read a book. I miss books.

It is very difficult to do this when you're doing the stay-at-home-mom thing. Yes, when she was smaller she'd take naps during the day and I would get stuff done then. Now she's very demanding of my attention and doing things like reading, sewing, writing, or anything else gets pushed aside. She should be taking naps still, but doesn't.

We're trying to re-implement naps so I get my time, and I should start calling around about day cares so I can get some time back.

*sigh*

I am on the Babycenter e-mail list, so I get weekly missives about parenting. They're generally fluff pieces and full of information I already know. Today included a poll called "What's the best thing about being a mom in today's world?" The answers in the poll were things like Men expected to share childcare responsibilities, Openness to different parenting philosophies, Gadgets and technology that make life easier, and More variety in family-oriented media. There were also things about shopping and online community.

They left out the actual answer.

The best thing about being a parent today is that outliving your children is rare. In the past, families could count on at least one child dying in infancy or early childhood. Disease, accident, and lack of medical technology were all contributors. I, personally, have never seen measles, mumps, pertussis, or polio. My daughter will likely never see chicken pox, a disease I have scars from. As a parent, I am free to spend most of my time worrying about her getting a suitable education (she started writing letters yesterday), good nutrition, and what video games in my collection I shouldn't play in front of her.

The best thing about being a parent today is being so far removed from a time where children died regularly that we can have petty flame wars about breast vs. bottle and other parenting decisions.

It's a shame that the wonders of scientific progress wasn't even mentioned, but it's pretty par for the course. Other people can go and vote saying that online shopping is the best thing about being a parent today. I will be grateful that, barring a freak accident, my daughter will reach adulthood with her mind and body intact.