Monday muse: being mom

I indulge the introvert in me (while I still can) by going out on my own every afternoon. While Sophie naps blissfully at home.

Grab lunch, have coffee with ear plugs on, work some, walk through the mall, and then listen to the radio while driving home. A therapeutic 3 hours or so, they pack a punch, especially on the days when I feel like I've tried too hard to be a good mom. (Read: when I am exhausted at entertaining my toddler.)

What is a good mom anyway?

One who never lets her child get bored?

I think it is necessary to allow our kids to be bored sometimes - so that they can develop their innate ability to be creative, as some education experts say. But bearing in mind that we can get too much of a good thing, I am not sure where I should draw the line. Can one be too bored? How bored is too bored? How do I build boredom into my toddler's daily routine so that it stimulates her imagination, inspires quiet reflection, and develops her emotional intelligence and empathy - without causing us to go mad or stifling her growth? Likewise, how much play-education-bonding do I do with Sophie without giving her too much attention that she experiences withdrawal symptoms whenever she is left to her own? How much should I entertain her and how much should I refrain?

Being mom (for me) is a constant struggle endeavour to hold all these concerns in a dialectic tension - while learning to relax. I am not a naturally relaxed person - and I am bothered nearly all the time.

May God grant me the wisdom and grace not to sweat the small stuff.