I swore I'd never be one of those moms who over-scheduled her kids (as much for my sanity as for theirs) and I've honored this commitment until this year when it seems as the children get older, their activities multiply like dust. Without engaging in much, my week filled with cross country track, crew, and theater for the high schooler and musical theater, piano, and soccer for the first grader.
I mapped out my week on the calendar, following a color-coding system, which also includes my husband's professional clown gigs and my heart sped up. Where is there a day with nothing on it? Pink, blue, purple, green on every day, with the calendar days also having "More" hyperlinked to show me more than the little daily square can show.
I'm grateful for my decade of experience as an account manager at an advertising agency because modern motherhood requires multitasking extraordinaire.
Before I committed to full-time writing I contemplated returning to a corporate job. I wasted several hours poking around LinkedIn and MediaBistro and some other career-oriented websites and while their job requirements seemed achievable, my qualifications were of another caliber altogether. The last six years, outside the corporate world, I have accumulated a skill set which isn't easily transcribed on a traditional resume.
In addition to "running the household," which involves keeping my family alive and our apartment from becoming mold-infested and the toilet paper stocked, I brainstormed a few critical roles I've occupied:
Accountant: family and business taxes annually.
Research Pro: New fridge, best dance class, best soccer league, best gymnastics classes for 6-year-olds, best piano lessons, best drama classes, best camps, ice skating, what causes a rash without a fever, how long until you see symptoms for Lyme Disease? From appliances to childhood enrichment to medical health, I've read twenty encyclopedias worth of research.
Professional Chef: Daily vegetarian and pescatarian organic food preparation; no processed food.
Fashion Designer: Camp color war means I'm spray painting and fringing (real verb?) spirit shirts or finding the perfect outfit for a birthday party (OR ALL SEASON LONG) or learning to make a homemade tutu.
Makeup Artist: Halloween, headshot, happy days.
Hair Stylist: every morning. I've mastered a french braid and a fishtail braid and something we call "princess hair."
Chauffeur: two children, in two different schools, in two different states (separated by a bridge with an outrageous $15 toll!)
Cheerleader / Coach: track meets, recitals, plays.
Photographer / Documentarian: Our lives in pictures and words.
Birthday party planner: we're in the children's entertainment industry so every year I'm out trumping myself.
Launderer: 8-10 loads each week. I've created a science around it where I split the loads between four different floors and use an alarm to keep track (apartment building benefits).
Doctor / Nurse: I've memorized WebMD.
Interior Designer: I've moved 10 times in 20 years and 5 times in the last 6 years. Painting and redecorating each time.
Contractor: Builder of Ikea furniture and more, kitchen designer, bathroom renovator
Cleaner: Merry maid and not-so-merry mortified mom. I can clean it all with the magic eraser.
Singer: Every night before bed and Beatles Rock Band on snow days.
Mind Reader: Every mother's special skill; comes innately with the title.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.