Yes, I'm a Mom ... But I'm Me Too!

I know I owe another A to Z Challenge post, but I feel the need to post this today. There is a video that has gone viral and while it is a great way to acknowledge moms, I disagree with much of it.



So, this is the video. Many people have seen it ... in fact, it has had over 10 million hits. Where is my problem? Let me get into that.

My job description as a mother:
~ Care for my child for 9 months (or 10+ in my case) making sure I care for my body so they are born as healthy as possible.
~ Tend to my child night and day as he/she experiences teething, hunger, bad dreams, anxiety, and growing pains.
~ Teach my child
~ Provide for my child

Source

However ... what I also know is that this job for me (and millions of other moms) is it is a team effort. Moms are not alone in the job! My husband takes turns staying up with the children, helping out when they are ill, taking them to events, teaching them, playing with them, etc. He does this so that I do not have to tackle the task by myself and I can sit, sleep, eat, etc.

Here are my BIGGEST beefs with this video.

1. I did NOT go into this job expecting to be praised, paid, or receive benefit (outside of love).
2. I did NOT go into this position so that I could brag about being a parent.
3. I did NOT go into this position to be a slave of the "associate"

My children love and respect me (most of the time). They understand fully that my needs are just as important as theirs are. Even at the age of 3, Monkey knows that mommy needs time to get out with friends, sleep, eat, and shower. Turtle is getting there as well, but I do not expect as much since she is only 16 months.

My children know that they have duties to help around the house. My husband was awesome in explaining to Peanut the difference between chores and responsibilities last night. A chore helps the entire family, while a responsibility benefits you.

I do not receive monetary compensation for this job ... but the amount of love I get from my children is more than enough payment for me! My life revolves around God, my family, and me ... in that order.

Yes, it is a tough job, and it may be the world's toughest job to be the parent, but I don't want my children to respect me for the reasons stated in the video. I want them to love me and respect me because of the love and respect that I show them. I want them to love me because I have their back through thick and thin, no matter what mistakes they make. I am there to help them pick up the pieces and recover. To me, THAT is what being a parent is about.

So, bring on the heat .... I have given my two cents. I am fully aware that not everyone agrees.