I have been hearing a lot this week about children making women less happy than they were when childless (see Jennifer Senior's article, All Joy and No Fun: Why Parents Hate Parenting.) I won't argue with the data, but wonder about the causes. Maybe it's the loss of personhood? The never ending requests for candy or a winter jacket in 100 degree weather? I'm sure each woman feels differently about her children, but I have a vague feeling that the happier mothers fall into two camps: those who love being children themselves, and enjoy entering their kids' worlds, and those who are extremely determined to bring the children into the enjoyable parts of the mother's world--movies, art, swimming, whatever she likes to do.
What do you think? I think someone needs to write a manual for mothers: How to Enjoy Your Children. Oh, wait, there is all kinds of advice about that-- mostly focusing on bubbles and blocks, I have to say, not very much on bringing kids along to do more adult things...
In painting, I am still struggling with the heat as I try to finish my painting before the baby arrives.
And my Raccoon On Strike painting got included in this lovely Etsy Treasury: Raspberry Martini, curated by SnowInJune. My favorite item is the felted b
ag.
We went to the Barrington Beach to swim this last Friday, and Laurent took this photo of the sky. It was a beautiful evening, just the two of us.
What do you think? I think someone needs to write a manual for mothers: How to Enjoy Your Children. Oh, wait, there is all kinds of advice about that-- mostly focusing on bubbles and blocks, I have to say, not very much on bringing kids along to do more adult things...
In painting, I am still struggling with the heat as I try to finish my painting before the baby arrives.
And my Raccoon On Strike painting got included in this lovely Etsy Treasury: Raspberry Martini, curated by SnowInJune. My favorite item is the felted b
ag.We went to the Barrington Beach to swim this last Friday, and Laurent took this photo of the sky. It was a beautiful evening, just the two of us.