Community Voices for Health

By: Deirdre Littlefield

My youngest is officially off to kindergarten. He is so excited to take that bus each morning and loves his teachers. He has learned so much already. I can’t imagine what he will be doing by June!

New Days Ahead

It is a long day for him though. It’s the first time he’s ever had to stay on task for six long hours. He’s alone with kids on the bus so it’s also his first time hearing derogatory words for no reason and he is witness to kids back-talking the bus driver. All very normal stuff but clearly shocking to a ripe young five year old. He comes home mentally exhausted and ready to yell at his brother, neighbor, or even me for the smallest of discretion.

I understand what’s happening, as I’ve seen it with my others, but that does not make it acceptable behavior. I am here to watch him and then to teach him. I believe it’s my job to discipline him so he learns how a friend needs to act and when to walk away for a breather. I am here for a hug when he doesn’t like himself and for some reassurance that a warm tub, a hot meal, and his blankey will make everything better.

Nightly Routines

The evenings can be crazy. My husband works late so the schedule is mostly run by me. I am so thankful I had time to prepare healthy meals earlier in the day. My kids want to play outside after school and I believe they need that free time, for both their physical and mental health. We stay out until the final minute the clock allows. Homework is the top priority so that gets precedence before we are out the door again  for sports. We arrive back home just in time for a shower, a book, and a bed all so we can wake up tomorrow and repeat.

Motherhood

I love this life so much I cannot describe it.

There is truly nowhere else I’d prefer to be at this stage of my life than a field or in a rink. Okay I wrote that backwards -rink should be first. 🙂

I am lucky enough to start each morning on a nice long walk with a friend. This is a big bonus change since my youngest started going off to school. It is such a pleasure to start my day with somebody I enjoy, while getting some fresh air, and a smidge of exercise. Then the clock starts running again. Its back home to complete my hours for work, sift through and organize donations for a charity I hold dear, or head out to another small job I have to pay for all that rink time I love. 🙂 I get to come home and quietly have a sandwich before starting the evening preparations.

My Time is My Own

Everybody, except my husband, asks me what I do all day now that my little one is gone. It’s such an awkward question. I’m certainly not going to run down my day to them, so I’m unsure of what to say. Many will ask if I plan to work now and somehow I feel rude telling them, “I’ve always had a job.” The truth is, if I were independently wealthy, I would be fully content just being home. I could happily fill my days to the brim without much thought.

This is not a judgement on working on site versus at home vs working part-time. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Let’s all just stay in our own lanes. Some of us have to work full time and some of us want to. Some of us have to stay home and some of us want to.

I don’t ask what you do all day at work, so please don’t ask me what I do all day at home.