The many demands of parenthood

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The many demands of parenthood

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So parenting is a constant renegotiation. Your life goes from one extreme of being this autonomous adult to having your life really dictated by somebody else. And that's a tough transition to make. And I think there's something about the radical acceptance of the fact that this is the role you have. It's a temporary role. And to, for me, I find I need a lot of breaks. Whether it's 5 minutes alone in my room to breathe, or going for a walk around the block, or a workout or whatever it is. I need to take those. And then when I am with my kids, it really works to fully be with them. So I try to put away my phone. I'm not always good at doing that, but the more I do it, the more I just try to be with them without distracting myself. Fully immerse myself in 15 minutes to read a story or play a game or kick a ball around the yard, they need that time with me or with their parents, and then I can feel less guilty about the times when I do need some time to myself. But it really is a constant struggle I think to - parenting is a job where you don't get a lot of reward. it's the kind of thing where you have to be the grown up all the time. You have to be the patient one. You have to be the bigger person. You have to be the person who models the correct behavior. And I think maybe we don't give ourselves credit for that the way we should, so also to know that even if you're not perfect, you're trying really hard.

Watch Video: The many demands of parenthood by Susan Goldberg, MA, ...

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Susan Goldberg, MA

Author & Blogger

Susan Goldberg is a writer, editor, essayist and blogger, and coeditor of the award-winning anthology And Baby Makes More: Known Donors, Queer Parents, and Our Unexpected Families. Her writing has been featured on the CBC and the Globe and Mail, in Ms., Lilith, and Stealing Time magazines, and several anthologies, including the forthcoming Chasing Rainbows: Exploring Gender-Fluid Parenting Practices. Susan is a contributing blogger at Today’sParent.com and VillageQ.com. In 2012, she was chosen as one of BlogHer’s Voices of the Year. She’s currently (always) working on a novel, called Step on a Crack, and on Overflow, a one-woman performance piece about lingerie and breast cancer. Susan lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario, with her partner and their two sons.

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