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| Naked Spaghetti Day! |
We're not big on religion here, but I was brought up Presbyterian, and Tom was brought up Catholic. It's our parents, grandparents and other extended family who are excited to see this event happen.
After meeting with the minister at our local United Church, I couldn't help but be glad we are taking this step. Will I be attending church weekly with A? No, probably not. But I will be introducing her to Christian traditions through the celebration of Christmas and Easter, and will fully support whatever path she chooses to take.
Now that we have A, and may grow our family some more in the next few years, I have realized the importance of creating a community of support around me. Parenting is hard regardless of where you live, but I am envious of women who parent as a "team" - cooking and cleaning together, sharing resources and helping to raise each other's children. I've noticed that being a Mom is always the best when we have family and friends visiting - A is more distracted, behaves well, and seems to respond better to her nap and bedtime routines.
When we spend the days alone together, Tom will usually come home to an exhausted wife, a cranky child and a messy house. It's like we get bored with each other! On those days, all I long for is another Mom to be there with me, chatting and watching our kids play together. I miss the "old days" when we would send children outside to run around together, freeing up time for all those chores that need to get done.
Parenting feels like a lonely journey sometimes, and I have made an effort to build my own community of like-minded friends and pseudo-family. I have found this at play-groups, work (if you have a lot of other Moms in your workplace) and even through our prenatal class. Without these people around me, even if just for a lunch date, I don't think I would be considering another child. I just wouldn't be able to cope with the challenges.
Church (or, what I usually lean more towards - a buddhist temple or meditation group) is another form of community, and often a very strong one. As I grow older and explore more about my spirituality, I look forward to sharing this with A and helping her build a solid foundation from which she will make major life decisions. It's my belief that spirituality goes a long way in creating a sense of belonging, worth and happiness.
Have a great long weekend everyone!
My Baby Talk mommy group kept me from going insane. I recently read an article about communities raising children together based on Mommy groups and neighborhood friends. Whenever Brennan and I are on our own for a full day I try to schedule a playdate....completely agree with you on how much easier it is on both of us. Again...will send ithe article your way when I think of it. you'd like the magazine I think - called Pathways to Family Wellness. Did I already tell you the name? So many articles I'd love to blog about! Happy birthday to Aylen! Enjoy the weekend.
ReplyDeleteCommunity is key. Happy birthday to your cutie! And regarding religion - I found it to be a tough decision as well. Both of us raised Catholic, my Hubby's family weren't practicing and my family never missed a Sunday or special mass. We ended up baptizing E when he was 3 months but I'm not convinced it was the best decision. Now I feel trapped. We basically did it for our family. I wish I would have taken time to really think about it like you have. Good on ya!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I were also faced with the religion issue, but given that we were both raised as Catholics, but have chosen the Atheist route, we could not justify choosing our kids religion for them, therefore we did not baptize them. We figure that if they want to be religious, they can choose for themselves the religion they feel is best for them and we will respect and support their choices. Our families have never addressed the issue with us, but neither sides are really into the religious thing much. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt was a great service, so we're really happy we did it! I even shed a tear or two...sniff!
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