I know that there are lots of women out there who hate the idea of being "just" a mum. Of course no one is "just" a Mum. We mums wear a million different hats and are often working harder caring for our families than we ever did in our pre-kid occupations.
I am one of those strange people who actually like the idea of being "just" a mum. I guess it has a lot to do with the fact that falling pregnant and keeping a baby was so difficult for us that to have actually given birth to a baby makes me feel like I have achieved something really special. I think it is also that I have am less concerned about what other people think of me in regard to my intelligence and achievements because I know that I have achieved many things in my life and raising my family is the most important thing I will ever do in my life.
In my pre-kids days I had a few different careers. First I was a Hairdresser (which I guess I still am as I completed an apprenticeship), then I was (briefly) a Waitress while I was studying at uni, then I used my Psychology degree working as a Rehabilitation Consultant. However, many people I know could not tell you what I did before I had kids because I hardly talk about what I did before. I love being a mum and it is what defines my life now.
In the past when I was a Hairdresser I found it difficult when people thought that I "dropped out" of school because I could not handle it. I loved telling people that I was studying Psychology as they thought I was intelligent. Neither of these assumptions were true, in both cases I was just working hard at doing what I enjoyed. I think that these experiences made it easier to accept that people think of me as "just" a mum.
Of course I do have things that I want to achieve in my life. Lots of my close friends will know that I am constantly struggling with wanting to complete further training to be a "real" Psychologist not just someone with a Psych degree. My poor husband has had to endure me regularly agonising over when is the right time to do it, and how I should go about doing it. I am sure I will do it one day, but for now I am not willing to give up this time with my kids. Every time I have looked into doing it God has said "no" and I have realised it is not the right time. Whether it be realising the time commitment required, or recently when thought I might do it next year and then a little person was suddenly growing in my womb...the answer was another "no".
I think I am slowly learning that this time in my life is for raising my family. While having further training in Psychology would be great to have in order to be able to help people, the people who need me most are my kids. If I get to the end of my life I know that God is not going to care whether I became a Psychologist. He is only going to be concerned that did the best I could with the responsibilities he gave me and my kids are the most important of those responsibilities.
So for the next few years I am going to be "just" a mum....and I am going to love every moment of it!
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| Even moments when they do this! |
