Wednesday, February 10, 2010

What type of MOM are you???

I firmly believe that everything that has happened in our lives up to this point has had influence on us and has shaped us into what we are. The same is true with what we are like as Moms. Since being a parent is essentially a job perhaps it is our past jobs and education that influences what we are like as.

Have you worked as a waitress? Would this mean that you are able to juggle all the baby paraphernalia (diaper bag, bottle, sippy cup, snack), your purse, the child, your coffee and the car keys... all with a smile and polite interest in what is going on around you?? Or perhaps you can bring enough food for a family of 4 to the table in only one trip and clear the table just as quickly.

Perhaps you're a teacher... everything has a lesson in it even if the kids are not aware that they are learning. Schedules are kept, calendars are made, stickers are given as rewards and to keep track of things.

Perhaps you're a scientist... you are precise with everything and keep meticulous records (kids medical records are all properly filed as well as their important documentation). You are in pursuit of perfection, but are aware that it may take many "experiments" to get there.

But of course you're really made up of a compilation of all the jobs you've done before. For me I've worked as a bistro server, waitress, gas jockey, and plant worker. I have a background in engineering. So I will summarize my skills derived from my previous work experience and education:

I can carry a baby, coffee, diaper bag, snack to the car with only a few drips of coffee and can usually still find my keys when I get there! I'm not afraid to get dirty and do things myself (for me and the kids). I can make 5 different types of sandwiches at the same time. I can still carry 4 plates at once. I work within tolerances, but have high expectations. I give technical explanations if repeatedly asked the same questions... (So you want to know why the sky is blue?? Well the angle of refraction of the sun's rays hitting the stratosphere... ). I research any new baby gear before buying any occasionally make spreadsheets to compare the results (with graphs).

Embrace your past and celebrate your strengths. We are all great moms who have come from varied backgrounds and bring our skills that we've learned into our mom skills. And from there we also take our mom skills back into the workforce. It is good to be MOM.

1 comment:

  1. What a great post! I definitely see my teacher background coming through regularly with my kids. Unfortunately I never worked as a waitress so I can only carry 2 plates MAX and I am constantly spilling coffee!

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