After the birth of my child, I found myself absolutely besotted with this little bright-eyed bundle of joy. He became my inspiration to be a better person in every area of my life. At the time, I read article upon article in a bid to educate myself on how to best take care of this new human being whom I was now accountable for. I learned a ton, not only from reading, but from watching other mothers around me. I drew on my experiences I could still remember as a child and I asked advice, and still do, time and time again, from just about anyone who has popped a baby out before.
Growing up, I was shown that it is a mother’s duty to tend to her kids. That usually means cooking and cleaning and running a tight ship. I didn’t see myself as that kind of mother, but I longed to be the best for my child in every way that I could be. I remember as a child, I wanted nothing more than to have my mom or dad take me to the park. I didn’t care really about how much money was spent on me. What I did care about was the time either one invested in me. From early on I had realized that time, however, was something that neither of them had any spare to give because they were busy working and running the household.
And so I found myself naturally gravitating towards being a hands-on parent, when my turn came around. It’s been possibly the best thing I’ve done for myself since the children came along and hands-down the most fun. We’ve gone on amazing adventures through the tunnels of our home-made tents. We’ve painted artworks that could rival the best of Picasso. We’ve laughed and giggled and enjoyed each other’s company, and to me, that’s what it’s all about.
I am still first and foremost a mother and I take note of my responsibilities to raise my children. I do have to clean and cook, but these tasks don’t take precedence over our lives at home. I get them involved. I spend time being a teacher as well as a friend to my kids, but I’ve chosen to teach them by guiding and leading them rather than telling them where to go. That’s the beauty of being a hands-on parent you see, I get to do some awesome things with the kids and the learning never stops for all of us. The bond we share has continued to grow ever stronger.
The one thing that sticks out the most for me is, however, the fact that happiness is attainable anytime of the day, 3 times a day. By being actively involved with my kids’ development, I’ve learned that happiness is, in fact, found in the time we spend with the people we love. It’s taught me that life is not just about becoming the best at doing things, but about doing our best at finding bliss.
