Hi. I’m a busy parent, and refuse to feel guilty about it.
I know I know, I’m supposed to be slowing down. Taking afternoons to sit with a cup of tea and my knitting while the kids play in the other room.
I’m supposed to ignore the clock and calendar once in a while, forcing a family staycation. I’m supposed to turn the computer and phone off in order to contemplate the wonder of life and precious short time we all have together.
While I agree with some of the sentiment and try and take from it little nuggets I can apply to my actual life, I have to admit this new movement to get all of us to “slow down” totally stresses me out!
Look, I have a life in which there is no choice but to be a little busy. Do I add extra things into an already busy life because it’s how I avoid difficult emotions? Yes, but don’t worry I have a really good therapist. Do I tend to ruin the occasional lazy Saturday my family has together because I can’t stop finding work to do? That is most definitely me, go ahead and ask the rest of my clan.
You know what though? I like to be busy and really believe there’s nothing wrong with that. When I have too much time with few things on my plate I get bored and depressed. I need a rhythm, a fire under my butt to keep me feeling balanced. I like to overcome challenges and impress people with my multi-tasking skills. I feel proud of the fact I am considered dependable and hard working within my community and little family.
I admit to maintaining a life in which I have to work hard to achieve balance. I don’t want to burn out or raise two stressed kids. I, no doubt, want us all to have fun together but I like to think my kids will learn from me that you can’t have the lazy Saturdays without the harried week preceding it. That it feels good to put your feet up after running around town all week. That the ability to work your butt off and not complain about it is a valuable asset and admirable skill.
My point is not to say we shouldn’t slow down and appreciate life once in a while. There is nothing I love more than witnessing the quiet miracles happening around us every day. Drinking coffee by my favorite window while the sun inches up the horizon in the morning fills my soul with gratitude…finding I have extra time to walk to school for pickup on a perfect Fall day gives me extra spring in my step…taking a moment to soak up a beautiful sunset is just what I need to recharge at the end of a long day…
…but I can’t sit there all night, for goodness sake—I have things to do!
Sarah Stith lives in Boulder with her husband and 2 children (4 and 6). Before moving to Colorado, the family lived in Brooklyn, NY where Sarah worked as a dresser at The Lion King on Broadway. She now works as Assistant Producer with BASHO & FRIENDS, an educational web series focused on teaching kids Spanish through music. She is also the founder of Raising Little Heroes, a group devoted to finding volunteer opportunities for families with young children.
Author: Mile High Mamas
