Parenting Blog

"All mothers are working mothers." -- Author Unknown

It's interesting that on Mothers Day, most families celebrate by giving Mom some time away from the kids. Not that I'm complaining -- we all need a break now and then to be inspired mothers.  But we also all know that this one day of being "taken care of" does nothing to address the fact that most Moms still shoulder the lion's share of child-raising and home-making, even if they also have paid jobs.

The Mothers Day I'd really like to see would honor Moms by actually making their lives better, not just give them breakfast in bed and a break while Dad takes the kids on an outing.  What would I like to see this Mothers Day?

• More recognition that having a child isn't just something parents work around, but a profound shift in our lives  that makes everything else diminish in importance.
• Coupons from the kids that Mom can use for a "No-Bickering Car Ride," a "Complaint-free Dinner" or"One Week of Brushing Teeth without Being Reminded."
• A commitment to shared housework, so that everyone else in the family takes on some chore that otherwise would fall to Mom -- all year long!
• Admiration for the real, tough, invisible work of mothering: Responding with compassion to all the varieties of trying behavior that immature humans can exhibit.
• More acknowledgment in our society that it’s in everyone’s best interests to support families, because productive, responsible citizens only develop from kids whose emotional needs are met as they grow up.
• Paid sick leave for all working parents -- and the ability to take those days off if their kid is sick, without penalty.
• More job sharing, flex time, and other family-friendly workplace practices.
• An end to the "Mommy Wars," with the understanding that raising kids is the hardest work there is, that it's an art, not a science, that happy moms raise happy kids, that we all love our children and that we're all doing the best we can to meet their needs.
•  An end to pitting kids' needs against moms' needs -- with Dads fully sharing the joys and burdens of "the second shift."
• Kids writing "Thank You, Mom" letters (dictated by the little ones) or making "Mommy & Me" booklets. Speaking from experience, these misspelled and illegible letters will be treasured more with each passing year and may end up framed around the time the kid graduates from high school.

Thank you for your commitment to being an inspired parent to your child.  You inspire me.