The Art of Parenting

To the right, my 5 year-old drawing on her sheets. Not only did I allow her to do this; I encouraged her. It was actually her sister's idea, and I thought it was grand. Instead of buying a new set of sheets, they decorated their own! As a woman, I am often guilt-ridden because I need to juggle work, my hobbies and my writing with parenting. I know I am not alone in this.
I strive to take care of my own needs, because if mom is not ok, then she cannot take proper care of her offspring. However, sometimes we need to make choices. Today I recalled that 3 years ago, I was offered a contract to write a parenting book on commission. The catch was that I had to churn it out in a month or two. I'm a writer, and I love to write and as an author, I need to be published. Yet, after giving it some thought, I turned down the offer. I turned down the advance, I turned down writing the sure-fire book. It seemed contradictory to me to be writing a book about creative parenting if that was to affect the quality of my own parenting. I was already weighed down by free-lancing jobs and another book.
I am a writer, but mainly I am a creative person, always looking for ways to express myself - be it through dance, art, photography or simple conversation. I am also a mom, but a mom who had kids not because it was the thing to do, but because it was the thing I wanted to do. And from the very beginning I took it on as a life-project. It is just as creative for me as writing. That is why I do "different"and offbeat activities with my kids ... and that is perhaps why they are as creative as I would wish for them to be. And yet ... I struggle to keep that balance because I need to make a living, and I need to write, I need to dance, and I need to ... be a mom.

http://www.lorrainecladish.com/