Left at home with only one child to mind, it was easy to be the “perfect” mother.
My child was smiled at more. She got tickled and chased around the room to her delight. She drenched herself, made huge puddles on the floor and received no rebuke. She was indulged in orgies of nonsense chatter.
It thrilled her to no end to feel that her mother has all the time in the world for her. I want to be this kind of mother all the time.
But dividing my attention to 3 demanding kids is strenuous – physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s a huge feat trying to explain coherently to an inquisitive 6 years old while trying to get a squirmy 4 year old to sit properly when an impatient 1 year old made it known to everyone that she wants to be fed NOW!
Going crazy is easy – had it not been for one person in our lives.
My children are lucky to have a father who is involved in their everyday lives. I am lucky that he can take them off my hand once in a while to let me enjoy hobbies like photography. While not exactly postcard printing quality, they are satisfying as a light “escape”.
Then I can happily go back to dividing myself to 3 demanding kids without going crazy.
*Picture : Mahua river, Tambunan
