Monday, August 04, 2014

Lesson Learned

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know how important parenting is to me.

I know that sounds silly. Of course parenting is important to me. If you're a parent, how can parenting NOT be important to you? Right?

I don't know how else to say it though. Parenting, or my way of parenting, is important to me. Attached parenting is important to me. (That's what it's called, right?) Spending these younger years by my son's side, teaching him, playing with him, exploring with him, and being that constant in his life is very, very important to me.

So when I started watching two other boys in my home five days a week, I realized I didn't really think it all the way through before I made the commitment. And I regretted it, almost immediately.



My time, my precious time, was then split between three instead of one...and the youngest one needed fed, and changed, and fed again every few hours...and the other boy, he needed more attention because he was constantly into everything and I was afraid that if I took my eye off of him for even a second, he'd end up hurt...and Henry played at my feet, and pulled on my shirt, and said 'Mommy, I want to go outside. Mommy, I want to go see Daddy. Mommy, come read to me.' and I had to tell him no, or not right now, or in a little bit, and I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Mom guilt set in fast and I had to step back and think 'Is this worth it?'. Really, is staying home and having my attention pulled away from Henry any different than working outside of the home 9-5? I'm here, but I'm not.

So when the girl just didn't show up with her boys today (I'm sorry, but who does that?!?), I kinda let out a huge sigh of relief.  I knew that this was probably coming because we had butted heads several times in the previous week (No, I can't watch your kids later while you run errands and lolly-gag around, I have another job to get to after they leave. Please change your son before he comes over so I don't have to clean up the inside of his diaper when it falls apart all over my house. If he's that sick, you shouldn't be bringing him here because then, HELLO, my son is going to get sick too!) and we really just did not seem like a good match for each other, at all.



I am so glad for this experience because it made me realize how much I love spending time with my son, and just how blessed we are to have this time. I have thought so much about purpose this year, and right now, Henry is mine. I want to cherish and be thankful for the opportunity I've been given to do so much with him, and to be there, and to really enjoy it.

This is so important to me, this parenting job. The next time I think 'well...we could really use the money' I'm going to remember this and take a step back and realize what I have to sacrifice first.

Lesson learned.

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18 comments:

  1. Good for you!!!! I am glad that this has fallen apart for you! I like the name attached parenting whether it is a phrase or one you just made, I am glad that you have opportunity to do all of these things with Henry!!

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    1. I am so, so, SO glad too. I had planned on telling her it wasn't going to work out - but I was going to give her until September to find someone new. I guess God has a way of working things out for us, right? I didn't even have to approach that situation thanks to this!

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  2. Pinning this post to encouragement because it filled my heart up!

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    1. You're so sweet, Ashley. I'm glad I could be a bit of an encourager today.

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  3. That is why, even though I absolutely love teaching, I'm only doing part-time this year, so I can spend time with my new son!

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    1. I absolutely get that! And it's great that you can do it too, you're gonna love being home with him!

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  4. I am so glad this experience came to a quick end for you. I know how much your time with Henry means to you and there is nothing that should come in between that. The days are long but the years are short for sure.

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    1. For sure, for sure! I know I had text you a bit about it. SO glad it's over. Now get your butt home so we can hang out - my schedule is suddenly more open again.

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  5. I love this! You are such an amazing Mom!

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  6. Glad everything worked out in the end. Good for you for realizing it! You're such a good mama!!

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  7. Oh my gosh, reading this post had me CRINGING. I used to think back when Roman was a baby that maybe I would like doing an in-home daycare or something. Everyone seems to think that if you are a stay at home mom - babysitting kids in your home is the *perfect* way to make money but that would drive me crazy I think. I have definitely done a lot of different babysitting jobs since having kids but it's never been a set in stone / regular thing. It's been short term or every so often. The situations you mentioned about the mom bringing her child with a dirty diaper and wanting you to watch her kids late so that she could run errands just sounds so frustrating! I think maybe part of the reason I'm cringing is because before I had kids I used to work at daycares and I also used to nanny and I had a couple frustrating experiences so this is just reminded me of that! I hope you all can have some more peace now that it's over.

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    1. I spent so many years with babysitting or nanny jobs and I loved it. And honestly, I never really had that bad of an experience. Of course - I've heard horror stories about daycare! I was really just fed up and it was totally not worth the extra money AT ALL. It's true that it's tempting just to take on other kids to make a little extra money while you're home with your own, but it's not the same, and it's really MORE work than if you had a 'regular' job.

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  8. I LOVE your pictures. I wish you lived closer so I could hire you for photography stuff! I feel like it's going to be such an asset to your family to have all of Henry's life stages captured so well.

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  9. first of all, henry is such a handsome little guy! secondly, you are a talented photographer!! but more relevantly, i appreciate the honesty of this post. it was very admirable for you to try out the nanny situation, but i'm glad it was short lived. it's unfortunate that it wasn't the best experience but at least it helped you to realize how important your time with your son is. his life, i am sure, will be much richer for having spent his early years with your devoted attention.

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  10. I'm happy for you that the experience was short. Henry is lucky to not have to share you now :)) Not having Mace share me is one reason I'm terrified to ever have another child! Ha!

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You don't know just how lovely you are...thank you.