Being Mr. Mom is Hard!
It has been over 6 months since I left my job. I have been at home with my three kids and it’s hard! I’m not going to sugar-coat it, it is frickin’ hard! I love my children more than life itself, but you definitely need an unlimited supply of patience to be home with kids. There is no doubt that from time to time, my frustration levels have peaked. When my 3-year old is over-tired and absolutely nothing I do will calm him down; or when the twentieth drink (at least that’s what it feels like) is spilt on the floor, it is hard!
When I was working, the single best moment of my day was when I walked through the front door and three screaming kids came running at me yelling “DADDY!!!!”. I might not get that moment of excitement as much anymore, but there are so many more amazing moments. The random “Daddy, I love you” sprinkled throughout my day or “you’re the bestest Daddy ever” touch my heart so deeply that my eyes well up with tears and makes this all worth it.
My 15 days away for my trip to Haiti was the longest I had ever been away from my kids. I laid in my bed at night and watched pictures of my family on my iPod with a big smile on my face. I think I have made up that time lost since!
I don’t know if it’s the universe trying to tell me something or an unbelievable coincidence, but as I was typing this out, my sister-in-law typed the following on my Facebook wall.
[The] “practice of being miserable in a job…creates a dangerous atmosphere, which can affect growing children, who see the adults they love relating negatively to their work, coming home frustrated and unhappy. Imagine being able to face your kids honestly, having them know you cannot be bought that you are among those who do not have a price. It is so much healthier for a child to see parents recognizing that their way of living is wrong and seeking a remedy rather than continuing to rationalize unhappiness, thereby encouraging their child to follow the same pattern.” William Coperthwaite
“Chris you are amazing and someone who’s children admire,respect and love him I read this quote and was SO PROUD OF YOU. You are one of these people”
One problem is that I have a hole in my resume now. I left a good paying job that I didn’t feel like I properly fit in to find a better fit somewhere else. How will a potential employer view this gap? I really don’t care. I have learned more in these 6 months than I would have doing the same thing over and over again. It’s hard to put that on a resume.
In the middle of typing this post, my family came home from swimming lessons. My 17-month old little girl wanted me to rock her to sleep for her nap. Before, she would always reach out for mommy, but now I get the snuggles. That will never be taken away.
I had been rationalizing my unhappiness for far too long. I kept thinking maybe it would change soon. I am now trying to remedy the path I strayed down and hope I will always encourage my children to live the life they want and only strive for happiness.
