Dear Mother of 6, How do you do it? I've passed you and your large family just about every time I go running around my neighborhood and every time I see you, I'm impressed and in awe of your mothering abilities. Thankfully, another man, I presume your husband is pushing one of your double strollers while you push the other one and your two older daughters walk right behind you. I'm happy to see that you have help. I wonder if you also have a nanny a few days of a week... Well, you certainly have a beautiful family.
You never fail to smile at me when I run by you all. This tells me that you either must be perfectly content with your life, that perhaps, this is what you wanted all along OR you are a very good actress. Maybe you even want more children... Who knows?
I wonder if after grinning at me and I pass you by, you become jealous and angry that I have the time to go running. I have this precious time to myself to do something just for me and for no one else. Did you used to enjoy running or are you not a fan at all like I used to be? Maybe you even feel sorry for me since I appear to not have a family... Do you miss your single independent life?
These will all remain questions forever because I can't ever imagine ever asking you them. But I really am curious about all this.
Sure, you aren't like Kate Gosselin from Jon and Kate Plus 8 at all but that just means that you don't have your own reality show thereby giving you plenty of money to support this large family. You also certainly aren't like Angelina Jolie with her 50 kids either and probably a team of nannies and other caretakers helping her out. Not being in the spotlight means you aren't getting a lot of recognition. I hope that your family appreciates everything you do for them and thanks you a lot.
So I suppose my main question to you and mothers like you with all these children is how do you do it? How do you find the time for yourself and also be a great mother? I can't really see myself having 6 kids but I certainly am envious of all the love that surrounds you 24/7. : )
I wish you a lifetime of happiness with your little crew.
-L
Seriously. The other evening I babysat for five kids (two that I normally take care of and their three cousins who were in town). All of them were under 5 years old. It was crazy! I cannot imagine doing that all day, every day. It's incredible how many women (and men) have the strength to do this.
ReplyDeleteI only have 2 kids and I sometimes feel like I can't handle them. I can't imagine having 6 kids. I would totally be jealous of you if I passed you running by me alone and I was with my pack of kids.
ReplyDeleteWow! I couldn't imagine having 6 children either! I think I'd go mad!
ReplyDeleteI have 3 kids...and would have had a ton more if I had the ability. There are sacrifices that come a long with being a mom, each individual has to decide for themselves if it's what they want.
ReplyDeleteI have zero kids and two dogs, but I am the middle child in a family with 7 kids. My mom tells me she can't remember large stretches of her life due to exhaustion. I am perfectly happy with just the two dogs thank you very much! These women are heroes; how do they do it!?
ReplyDelete6 kids?! Holy crap. That's a handful PLUS some. Can't. even. imagine.
ReplyDeleteAnd I can tell you from just having one child that yes, she VERY much misses her freedom.
I have four children and learned how important it is to carve out "me" time, regularly, and with the Mr. I never had to exercise back then, tho. They had me runnin' around enough.
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