Ahh, naptime! Possibly the time of day that is looked forward to the most. But why? I begged and pleaded with the hubs in order to quit my job and stay home. This is what I wanted, right? Right. So why is naptime such a blessed time of day? It's not like I'm one of those Super Women wives who just gets all sorts of cooking and cleaning done during that time. It's normally spent catching up on old reruns on T.V., e-mails, facebook, and - if I'm lucky - my own nap!
As I reflect on our morning, I keep hearing Jace's sweet voice in my head saying, "Oh" when I showed him how to attach two of his toys together. Those that know Jace, know that he is a "man" of few words. Oh, he actually has a pretty broad vocabulary, he just chooses not to use it very often. When he does say something, it's usually pretty funny and grown up! So why do I wish for the quietness of naptime when my son is a fairly quiet child?
I wish I had the answer. I admit, I really don't like to hear mothers say that old saying we've all heard numerous times, "I just need some 'me' time". I HAD "me" time for 27 years and all I wanted was "family" time. I wish I could say that I've never said that myself, because I am guilty of the same thing. I thought before that it was maybe just because I worked full time and what energy I DID have left at the end of the day was spent on Jay and Jace. Now I stay home and I can say that I'm not NEARLY as worn out as before but I still look forward to some alone time. Are we really ever satisfied with what we have?
Periodic quiet/alone time is something you always needed, even as a small child and your dad and I saw nothing wrong with that. It's a time for you to retreat, collect your thoughts and just simply rest - please don't feel guilty about that. Ilove you!!! ~Mom
ReplyDeleteI've wondered the same thing. But I do think we all long for some adult time when we've spent all day with only little munchkins at our feet or in our laps. Like you, I'm THRILLED to be home. This was my dream and yet we thought it wasn't possible considering our extreme student loans. We've done whatever necessary, sacrificing normal household items just to get me home. But when there's a free few minutes in the day when one of my three babies aren't needing something, I admit that I long for adult friendship/conversation/intimacy. I'll often email or call my hubby or get on facebook/discussion boards/chat/phone), or read a grown-up book, or sometimes just surf the net to read articles/blogs to keep my mind active and aware of the world around me. Though we enjoy mothering, I think most of us also long to be fed and further educated every day.
ReplyDeleteI've felt guilty over this at times, too. But now it seems silly...especially because when we think about how our ancestors did things before we became so civilized, individualized and independent (Be warned: I have a blog post coming up on this). They lived in small close-knit groups where mothers cooked, weaved, shared stories, supported and chatted together all day while looking out for each other's children. If a mom was ill or in mourning, she and her children were taken care of by the community of women.
Many of us lack that kind of IRL community in our own busy, money-loving communities. So we feed our needs in other ways. Now that I think about it, I think I'll go join a commune. LOL!
Have a great day, Courtney!!
~Shaye @ Miller Memories
Thanks, Shaye! I have thought about that many times...you know, the whole "it takes a village thing"! I was raised with a fairly large and very close extended family with both sets of grandparents being friends, all my aunts and uncles around and all my cousins. Even though I was an only child, I was rarely alone. I've had the same close group of friends my entire life (most of us even went away to the same college LOL). My friends and even parts of my extended family are starting to spread across the country so for the first time in my life I am alone A LOT more than ever. The winter blues are starting to set in and I'm DYING for spring to come so I can go back out and enjoy the world! We, like you, have given up a lot of things to make this SAHM thing possible and though I am eternally grateful for this opportunity I am longing for life outside these 4 walls again! :) Thanks for cheering me up today!!! :)
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