Mom on Strike

It has been coming for awhile now. Moms, you know what I mean. You do the work behind the scenes. Picking up after the family so that you don't drown in stuff. Grocery shopping so everyone has their favorites at hand. Making dinner every night (and hearing "again? groan" or "I don't like that") Laundry, UGH, all the laundry, so that your kids and hubby look (and smell) nice on the way out the door. Put the holidays on top of all of that (the baking, the shopping, the wrapping, sending out holiday cards, you get the drift) and it is exhausting. I have been doing all of this pretty much on my own for the last 17 years. Which was OK. I wish I had some help, but what else did I have to do?

Enter Mom deciding to start her own company. Mom trying to make said company a success *while* doing all of the above. No one like change, especially kids and husbands who have had just about everything done for them for as long as they can remember. Now, I am willing to take some of the blame here. I should have required more help early on, but who knew that Mama was actually going to be successful? Not me, not to this extent, I can tell you. But now that it is and I hope continues on the upward trajectory that it seems to be on, the status quo *has* to change.

I am not asking for much. Appreciation for what I do is the main thing (what they see and what they don't see), a little "Thanks, Mom" "Thanks, Honey" goes a long way. A little help during my busiest time of the year (picking up after themselves, run the broom through every once in awhile, and at least offering to help out before they sit down in front of the TV) is all I ask.

My vision going forward is more of a team effort than a one man job. My kids are 13, 12 and 5, perfectly able to pitch in. Hubby works hard all day, this I know and appreciate. But, so do I. Shouldn't I be allowed "down time" too? Am I worth any less?

Starting this company was my decision, I realize. But, I did it for a couple of reasons. One, so that hopefully, I can contribute to the family coffers (with 2 kids coming up on High School, I know that the financial burden should not be on my Hubby alone). Two, so that I have an identity other than Mom (because, let's face it, teenagers act like they are from a pod most of the time) and I need to feel like I have a bigger accomplishment than saying that the laundry is done. I want, no need, to leave my mark too. I should be allowed to do that, not only allowed, but encouraged, not resented.

I love my kids and my husband to the ends of the earth and would do anything for them. Anything, but give up my identity as a person. I have encouraged all of their hopes and dreams for the last 17 years and will continue to do so. Don't I deserve to have my hopes and dreams encouraged too? I think I am worth that.