When Families Come Together I Fall Apart
Having a birthday party, going to a family reunion or being a part of any extended family get together can be somewhat overwhelming for me. It brings up a whole plethora of issues and feelings with which I have to deal. I guess the whole point is that I feel like I have to defend our lifestyle each and every time a get together/party comes around. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. But I can't imagine being the only person in the entire world who freaks out when families come together. This is a new-ish feeling for me. I haven't always been this way. I think (I'm pretty sure) it all started when I had kids.
I worry if there is going to be enough food. I worry about whether the kids will like the party favors. I worry if anyone will show up. But most of all I worry about what I'm going to say when I'm questioned by various family members on our choice to home school our kids. There's also lots of nagging about us not visiting often enough so of course I have to explain myself all to often when that comes up too. It's not like I purposely avoid family. Well, maybe, sometimes I do. But mostly we don't visit much because we are just as busy as the next family, and we do what we can when we can.
We are also treated differently because we work from home. Everyone has this notion that we are always free and that our business just isn't as important since it's online. But it is just as important. It's how we live, pay our bills, and feed our kids. Hello, I work from home, Hot Daddy works from home, goes to school, and we home school our children. We're running a freaking circus in our home. Surely,we must need time for this!
With this lifestyle comes lots of questions, and I understand that people are curious about our online jobs too but sometimes it just gets old. The business advice needs to stop. Yes, I know I have to pay taxes. No, we're not doing anything illegal. It's called a blog. Everybody has a blog these days. Of course I started mine nearly 5 years ago when no one knew what a blog was. Not that it matters. You'd think I'd be rich by now. ;) Even Anderson Cooper has a blog. Your kids have blogs. It's possible your cat has a blog. Get with the program, people!
Anyway, moving on...
I just want to enjoy whatever is going on without feeling like I have to defend the way we are. I guess I need to just stop worrying about our family not "getting" us because I don't always "get" them either. We are so content with our life. Our children are happy. The hubz and I are happy. People should see that and move on because happiness is all that really matters. Why, yes, it is all butterflies and rainbows around here...mostly.
Of course I could be bringing all of this stress on myself. It's possible people are just curious. It's also possible that I'm am officially a nutcase. Have your pick. ;)Labels: family, motherhood
>Go to the Mom blog Homepage
Having a birthday party, going to a family reunion or being a part of any extended family get together can be somewhat overwhelming for me. It brings up a whole plethora of issues and feelings with which I have to deal. I guess the whole point is that I feel like I have to defend our lifestyle each and every time a get together/party comes around. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. But I can't imagine being the only person in the entire world who freaks out when families come together. This is a new-ish feeling for me. I haven't always been this way. I think (I'm pretty sure) it all started when I had kids.
I worry if there is going to be enough food. I worry about whether the kids will like the party favors. I worry if anyone will show up. But most of all I worry about what I'm going to say when I'm questioned by various family members on our choice to home school our kids. There's also lots of nagging about us not visiting often enough so of course I have to explain myself all to often when that comes up too. It's not like I purposely avoid family. Well, maybe, sometimes I do. But mostly we don't visit much because we are just as busy as the next family, and we do what we can when we can.
We are also treated differently because we work from home. Everyone has this notion that we are always free and that our business just isn't as important since it's online. But it is just as important. It's how we live, pay our bills, and feed our kids. Hello, I work from home, Hot Daddy works from home, goes to school, and we home school our children. We're running a freaking circus in our home. Surely,we must need time for this!
With this lifestyle comes lots of questions, and I understand that people are curious about our online jobs too but sometimes it just gets old. The business advice needs to stop. Yes, I know I have to pay taxes. No, we're not doing anything illegal. It's called a blog. Everybody has a blog these days. Of course I started mine nearly 5 years ago when no one knew what a blog was. Not that it matters. You'd think I'd be rich by now. ;) Even Anderson Cooper has a blog. Your kids have blogs. It's possible your cat has a blog. Get with the program, people!
Anyway, moving on...
I just want to enjoy whatever is going on without feeling like I have to defend the way we are. I guess I need to just stop worrying about our family not "getting" us because I don't always "get" them either. We are so content with our life. Our children are happy. The hubz and I are happy. People should see that and move on because happiness is all that really matters. Why, yes, it is all butterflies and rainbows around here...mostly.
Of course I could be bringing all of this stress on myself. It's possible people are just curious. It's also possible that I'm am officially a nutcase. Have your pick. ;)
I worry if there is going to be enough food. I worry about whether the kids will like the party favors. I worry if anyone will show up. But most of all I worry about what I'm going to say when I'm questioned by various family members on our choice to home school our kids. There's also lots of nagging about us not visiting often enough so of course I have to explain myself all to often when that comes up too. It's not like I purposely avoid family. Well, maybe, sometimes I do. But mostly we don't visit much because we are just as busy as the next family, and we do what we can when we can.
We are also treated differently because we work from home. Everyone has this notion that we are always free and that our business just isn't as important since it's online. But it is just as important. It's how we live, pay our bills, and feed our kids. Hello, I work from home, Hot Daddy works from home, goes to school, and we home school our children. We're running a freaking circus in our home. Surely,we must need time for this!
With this lifestyle comes lots of questions, and I understand that people are curious about our online jobs too but sometimes it just gets old. The business advice needs to stop. Yes, I know I have to pay taxes. No, we're not doing anything illegal. It's called a blog. Everybody has a blog these days. Of course I started mine nearly 5 years ago when no one knew what a blog was. Not that it matters. You'd think I'd be rich by now. ;) Even Anderson Cooper has a blog. Your kids have blogs. It's possible your cat has a blog. Get with the program, people!
Anyway, moving on...
I just want to enjoy whatever is going on without feeling like I have to defend the way we are. I guess I need to just stop worrying about our family not "getting" us because I don't always "get" them either. We are so content with our life. Our children are happy. The hubz and I are happy. People should see that and move on because happiness is all that really matters. Why, yes, it is all butterflies and rainbows around here...mostly.
Of course I could be bringing all of this stress on myself. It's possible people are just curious. It's also possible that I'm am officially a nutcase. Have your pick. ;)
Labels: family, motherhood
>Go to the Mom blog Homepage
7 Comments:
I think this is also called "approval addiction" and I think we all deal with it in some way or another. I work from home 3 days a week and commute the other 2 and my Grandmother still struggles with me working from home! My career was just not around when she was in the work force.
We also have a daughter with special needs and it seems like we are always on guard when family is around - not sure why, but we are.
I can totally relate, especially when it comes to my inlaws. We get along well but I also feel like I have to defend my SAHM status to both of my very career-minded SILs. I haven't even told them yet that I'm working from home because I just don't want to deal with the questions. Even my DH doesn't fully understand what I do!
You're definitely not alone!
I can SO relate to this! We don't home school and we don't work from home...I'm a SAHM...but I still have little nervous breakdowns every time we have a family gathering at our home. And yet I continue to insist on having the "get-togethers"....oh well...
Wow! I'm not the only one that has to defend why we can't just hop on a plane to go visit my parents more often, or explain why it's been over a week since I called my dad. I also work from home and tend to my two little ones at the same time. So they don't really understand how I could have my hands full... Brandon is 2 and Caitlin is 4... That should speak for itself! LOL
If all this is true, my rabbits have blogs. I'd better find their blogs before I post about them again. Who knows what they may be saying about me?
I can understand. It isn't easy being different and being questioned on it. Especially by people we care about. I know if we homeschool I'll likely be paranoid about family get togethers for awhile too. And being a homeschool grad I can tell you it got REAL OLD, REAL FAST when people would always ask the same dumb questions.
I understand! I deal with it by totally avoiding my husband's family, though. Of course, they do more than ask questions about things; they are downright rude and inappropriate.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home