Like It’s My Job

When we found out we were having a boy flavored baby I was baffled. I have two sisters, my mother has two sisters, and I love all things girly (in a badass independent woman kind of way).

I literally said, “What the heck do I do with a boy? Put him in a blue tutu?” I set out to educate myself about all things parenting. During pregnancy and post-partum my non-mom career got derailed by major illnesses. To my surprise, mom-ing like it was my job became my full-time gig past babyhood, into toddler time, through elementary school, and now into middle school.

I never thought this would happen to me. But I’ve found enough challenge, purpose, and value in it to be grateful I made the investment I did in my family and in the forced personal growth/re-parenting of myself that’s resulted.

Mike, as a longtime seeker, organizational psychologist, and improvement scientist, and I, as a super-consumer of therapeutic and self-development modalities, we made raising our son into a kind of all day every day personal growth workshop — for all three of us.  I’d tell people, “Ya, some families go fishing or play golf, we process our feelings and discuss how to be kind and take care of ourselves and others in various situations.

We were psychology geeks. But also neurobiology, Buddhist philosophy, 12-step principles, and samplers of other wisdom traditions — for me, with my history of physical, mental, and emotional “troubles”, my #1 priority was arming my kid with that solid center I felt I had lacked.  I read everything, took the workshops, walked the walk.

And, over the years, it’s been amazing to be able to troubleshoot, share tips and tricks, or just offer judgment-free sisterhood to the other conscientious moms in my life who want to do their best for their kids and their families - whatever that means. 

So lately as I’ve considered a return to some kind of profession - lawyering, or marketing, or mediation, or psychology or some other kind of something I’ve done professionally in the past, I realized that I already have a job I love — helping people screw their kids up less and enjoy parenting more with easy play-by-play tweaks. 

So, dear readers, this week I am offering a free session to mom friends or friends-of-friends who want to feel better more of the time quickly in exchange for feedback. You have my number. I’m gonna keep going.

www.livingeveryminuteofit.com