It’s definitely us that proclaim they have it all,I’m quite sure they have their own struggles, no matter how successful they are. I do get frustrated though when I see women portrayed as “super women” whether it be by the media or their interaction with the media. I vaguely heard Gail Kelly once mention how tough it had been having a career with triplets and it was so refreshing to hear someone be honest about the experience. Wanting to have it all is the problem I think – I don’t think we can have it all – at the one time – I think you can get there over the course of a lifetime – but when you are struggling at home with young children – or going back to work in a lesser job than you once enjoyed – many women can feel like a failure, which of course they are not. I love the three needs you mentioned – will try to remember give love, receive love, know we matter.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I am trying to embrace “Good Enough” and I know that there aren’t that many years left before they do leave home – then I’ll be wandering around wondering what to do with myself.

🙂

Gotta get me one of them t-shirts.

One of the happiest times in my parenting life was when my eldest was 6 months old and I went back to uni two half days a week. My husband was at sea in the navy so I hired a babysitter to come to the house. Twice a week I left the house at midday returned at 6 pm to be handed a bathed, fed baby who I played with for an hour before she happily went to sleep. It was bliss. So I understand how your friend actually gets to enjoy her time with the kids because she’s not worrying about the cooking, the washing etc. Of course the sad thing is most women, even when they return to work, won’t be able to afford the help they need because we still work in traditionally lower paying jobs. The guilt thing – it really is our worst weakness as women (but I’ll never admit that to a man). We feel guilty if we do, guilty if we don’t. How do get rid of the guilt gene? Can it be surgically removed? I also think Gen X mums in particular got fed the “you can have it all” line but I’m not sure it panned out for us.
Now I’ve not met you, but from one “just getting out the house dressed” mum to another, you are doing a GREAT job – and the mum’s who make it look easy are just better at faking it than us!!!LOL.

No, haven’t read it, wanted to see the movie but I think I’ve missed it at my local cinema. I often get irritated by movie stars banging on about how tough it is raise kids and have a career but one of the things I liked about Sarah Jessica Parker’s interviews for this movie was she openly said – I’ve got it easy, I’m juggling, but I’m juggling by choice, with enough finances to hire all the help I need.” I know money doesn’t erase the mummy guilt but I imagine it has to make the day-to-day existence that bit easier.

You are right about doing the right things whole heartedly at the moment – one of my regrets from the stay-at-home years is not enjoying it more. Recognising it was just a chapter of my life, kids do grow up, you do go back to work, I wish I had lived more “in the moment”.