What consumes a mother…
They say being a mother is the hardest job in the world. Before I had children of my own I thought this meant it is something complicated, and was confused as to how come everyone seems to be able to do it if it’s so difficult?
Now I understand better. It’s not the changing of the diapers that’s hard. It’s not the bathing and dressing and undressing that’s hard. It’s not the breastfeeding or feeding of solids that’s hard. It’s not the going out or eating at a restaurant that’s hard. All of those things are easy.
It’s the constantly being on call that’s hard — constantly. (Unless you have a nanny, of course, or a partner that’s on call sometimes as well.)
When I was expecting our first baby and I heard mothers complain of not having time for anything, I always thought: babies nap, don’t they? Why don’t you just do things then?
It turns out babies do nap.
Maybe.
Sometimes.
For some time.
Or not.
You might have to be there lying next to them while they do.
Even if you manage to get away, there are a million things to do and no doubt the baby will wake up before you’re done.
What does consume a mother?
It’s the time in-between. It’s keeping the baby safe, clean, fed, well rested, and most importantly entertained (while he’s awake) twenty-four hours, seven days a week.
Certainly, entertaining a baby is more fun than changing his diaper, but diaper can be changed in three minutes, while the entertaining must continue for as long as he’s awake.
That’s why a mother goes to bed exhausted every single night, even if “all she did” was be with the baby.
