CULTURE SHOCK

The culture has changed and many of our traditional roles have changed along with it.

I have never minded the title of stay-at-home-mom. It never occurred to me that I was doing ‘less than’ others because I was staying at home to raise my kids. My husband was a true workaholic. I worked a few part-time hours to give myself a break and make a little spending money. Besides, I never equated success with money. How stupid is that! There’s plenty of uber-rich people out there whose lives, and whose kids, are a total mess.

Of course, every family’s story is different, but I have always considered child-rearing to be extremely valuable, intricate and demanding. I don’t confess to being the best, but I will tell you that I stood in the fight and never gave up.

And now, decades later, the decisions of who works, how much each one works and who does what around the house, still plays out in households everywhere. It kind of reminds me of a middle-school dance, full of starts and stops, giddiness and crushing disappointment and the ever awkward ‘you’re stepping on my toes’ syndrome. Finding a way to balance careers, income disparity, childcare duties, and a relationship is a balancing act of the highest degree.

Then there are those who would gladly stay home if they could, but because of finances, have no option but to work. They rely on nannies, daycares, before and aftercare at their kid’s school, and teenage babysitters. And of course—Grandma and Grandpa!

This is a shoutout to all the grandmas, grandpas, mimas, meemaws, papas, nanas and omas out there who have stepped in at the later stage in life to help out with the grandkids.

You rock!

You go beyond just showing up at soccer games--you are the carpool, snack mom and coach for the game. You don’t pick up the baby at the nursery--you are the nursery. The grandkids didn’t just come for a visit--they’ve moved in!

Thank God for you! You could have said no, but you didn’t. The culture changed, and you adjusted. You still have much to teach the next generation – and you are leading by example.

You get a star and a sugar-free cookie!

And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, until I have declared Your strength to this generation, and Your power to all who are to come. (Psalm 71:18)