MR says: What a great reminder for every mom or dad out there to know that you are doing better than you think and that all the work you put into your family is worth it!
My good friend is a single mother. Her days are as intricately plotted as a military operation: get up, nurse the baby while the pre-schooler watches a show, make breakfast, dress them both, pack lunches, get herself dressed and ready for work while the kids watch another show, drop one child at day care and the other at nursery school, catch the subway, skid into work, retrieve the kids at the end of the day, stop for groceries, supervise dinner, give baths, pump while the older child watches a third show, and finally, put him to bed with a book or two. Then clean the kitchen, wash out the lunch boxes, answer work emails, and hit the sack for what is always a short night of sleep.
For all this, she doesn’t complain very much. But once, while we were hanging out at school pickup, she said that she wished the kids watched less TV, but she doesn’t have any other way to occupy them while she’s pumping or showering. Another mom at pick-up said “Can’t you just set out some crayons or crafty stuff? That’ll keep him busy for a little while.”