Did you resolve to have more balance in your life in 2013? I wouldn’t blame you if you did. Parenting is such a balancing act it’s a wonder we don’t all find ourselves in sprawled like a starfish in a safety net most days. Here are some of the ways I try to balance my life:
- Work vs home – ah yes, the endless struggle between devoting enough time to your family as you do to your ever-encompassing job or career
- Child vs child – ensuring you spend basically the same amount of time with each of your adoring progeny
- Personal time vs family time – a happy mom equals a happy family, am I right? So go for that walk, read that book…
- Sleep vs non-sleep – are you sleep deprived? Studies show most parents are.
- Red vs white – it’s important to find the right vintage for the right mood and food
- Hello! magazine vs The Walrus – I know I should read the Walrus but somehow the year’s best and worst fashion pics win out every time
- Vegetables vs all other foods – this applies to your own plate as well as your kids’ plates
- Downton Abbey vs Homeland – British aristocracy and their servants clinging to their entrenched ways or CIA agents battling terrorism
- Horizontal vs vertical – as in, do I get up off of this couch now or after the next episode of House Hunters International?
- Giving vs giving in – I'm constantly trying to balance between being a nice parent and caving in to all my kids' requests. But when I read every day about labour unrest and strikes, I'm reminded: listen, be flexible, don't dig in your heels. These are the examples that our kids are seeing every day. Sometimes it actually takes a stronger person to give in. That can be a powerful example, too.
- Helicopter vs fly-by parenting – As my kids get older I'm leaning toward the fly-by parenting style because it's time to let them experience the world on their own. But every once in a while, they do need help, and that's OK.
Janice Biehn
Editor
ParentsCanada
