As I begin typing my first blog, I wanted it to reflect the titles and often conflicts in my life...
mother
career professional
project manager
wife
friend
daughter, grand daughter, aunt....
less I forget, student (for which I started this blog!)
Does anyone else feel overwhelmed with a sense of guilt that we cannot fully fill the roles in our lives? This is not a blog for the working mother, as I interact with men at my profession that feel the same way...Upset that they cannot put their children to bed, and once again will not see them until next morning (hopefully). The parent who cannot find enough time to devote the attention to the child who is not performing well in their school work. The friend who fails to return phone calls, because well, family and work comes first, and there is not enough time in the day for anything else.
I want this blog to express that somehow, I, along with many other working proessionals, found that we cannot do it all, and not sure how to get out of this vicious cycle of life and STOP.
My son turned seven yesterday. wonderful boy, as most mothers will say about thier child. Very proud, but I cannot say that I have given him the mother that I wanted him to have.
Maybe this blog will be a vent for me, or a form of diary to help me get my priorities straight. Or, at the very least a passing grade in my eCommerce class! Either way, I think I will enjoy posting a blog!
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Kathryn-
ReplyDeletePursuing a graduate degree while balancing the competing priorities of work and family is daunting, to say the least. I began the MSPM program when my oldest daughter was just over a year old, and my second daughter was born three months before I finished.
Congratulations in advance. I expect you'll find it was well worth it after you finish next month.
-Scott
Kathryn,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all congratulations on being one class away from graduation? Are you going to attend the ceremony? I will be attending although I won't finish classes until August.
I think it can be incredibly difficult to manage all of the roles we have in life. I also think it is easy to compare the way we parent today with what we experienced as children and feel that we come up short. But life is different and so are the norms. I have a feeling your children think you are pretty darned awesome.
My children are grown now (21 and 24) and as you look back from where I am now, what matters isn't that you did everything perfectly or managed each role in an exemplary way. Just that did the best you could with the most important ones.
Mary
Hi Kathryn,
ReplyDeleteThanks for being so open. The most important thing to us is our kids, and I agree that it hurts to say, "I can't play with you right now, because I'm very busy." I watched a movie a couple nights ago that had a very thought provoking line. I will try and paraphrase. "Kids only know the passion of the moment. They live and breathe for what is happening right now. We are stuck in worry about the present and future and could learn from them in being able to live in the passion of the moment."
My boys are almost 3 and 14 months and even though I am not working right now and am with them all day, I still feel I am not doing enough. I think it is a sign of love. We love them so much, no matter how much we do for them or with them, it will never be enough.
Keep Smiling
Kathryn.
ReplyDeleteThis is a terrific blog, I feel like I know you; yet we have never met. The pink of your screen really speaks to me as it is my favorite colour. Juggling a career and family, as you have noted, is not easy. Once the last class is under your belt the sacrifices you have made will be worth it. An education is something that can never be taken away from you and will be something you cherish forever.
Hi Kathryn,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! you are almost done with your masters! For me this is my second online class and I have found that studying online is much harder and time consuming than physically attending a class.
The only things I have time for now is school and work. I can't imagine what it would be like to study, work and have a family. I live alone and the only living creature I had to take care of was my fish Eva but she died on Sunday. I left for the weekend I left her on a diet.... (yes I forgot to feed her). This is to say that I admire the way you can manage your time to be able to excel at every role it is bestowed upon you.
Great blog!