Day Off

Every generation has its own kind of moms. My grandma’s was a stay at home brand and knew how to fix, sew, build, cure anything type. My mother’s generation was going to school after having or while carrying kids, working and juggling home life with kids type. That generation had some of the help of the grandparents who were retired and more than happy to get kids off the early Head Start bus or be there to step in with supper and emergency sick kid center so the moms could still make it to work and school. My grandma says times are changing like they always do but what my generation of moms face is the compilation of each and every expectation of those from the past in addition to the ones we set for ourselves. 

Not only are we expected to know how to sew, cook, cure what ails our babies, and most importantly be there for milestones and boogers and contributing to family finances. We must take on the responsibility of absorbing the arts of our elders such as basket making, quilting and having gardens to provide for you in the winter as well as the summer. Now mix in our own hardworking mothers who set examples of taking care of kids and striving to better themselves. Fitting in hockey practices or other extra curricular activities. I, to this day, am proud of my mom in what must have been a stressful time. She was pregnant with my little sister and finished college.

Sometimes taking me with her to class so she wouldn’t miss. 

We’re a generation of high achievers sometimes scheduling our days so packed full of life that there literally are not enough hours in a day for us. Look at who our role models were. But we need to cut our selves some slack. As long as kids are happy and healthy we are doing a good job. Our children’s grandparents are not retired when we have kids, they are still working. So that means it is you who is must rush home to get babies off the bus and then throw together dinner and leave enough time for a sports practice or birthday party. I’m going to add an average Akwesasne mom’s day up and see how much time she has left. 

1 hour getting kids ready and off to school (not counting getting herself ready) multiply time by number of kids.

8 hour school day or work day before that rush starts. 

3 hours for dinner, homework, chores. 

2 hours for sports or playgroups. Now remember we all spend an average of at least all of each of the below.

1 hour tidying up or playing in the evening with young ones. 

1 whole hour for bath time and bed. Now that the kids go to sleep someone is up folding laundry, checking back packs, going over done homework, doing dishes, and doing her own work which might take at least an extra hour or two depending on what she has scheduled for the next day.

So for 18 hours an Akwesasne mom is busy, like nonstop on the go busy, I did not include driving times. So just imagine the ones who have a new baby and are back up every two hours.

They are, in fact, functioning super humans during the years their kids are little. I need to extend a pat on the back to the moms with not two or three kids but four, five and six children. I have only two and am pretty pressed for time. I spend the weekends catching up on the little things that don’t get done when I fall asleep an hour early during the week. When you become a mom you’ll never get time off because you are always in the process of doing something for your kids. If your aren’t with them you are thinking, worrying, planning for them and you know you wouldn’t want it any other way because as much as we think we need or want a day to ourselves we never really do take the day off.