Anonymous wrote:Agreed. And I HATED eat pray love. So self righteous and annoying.

I have heard people say this before but I would love a more detailed explanation. Without one, it just seems to me it is so easy to throw stones at something is "popular."

Anonymous wrote:OP - are you in high school?

Not the OP, but this makes no sense to me. What about the OP's post screamed high school to you?

OP - are you in high school?

OP here. so glad to see that I'm not the only one who feels this way! School/PTA is a perfect example. I'm really proud of my friend who has been the president of our PTA for 4 years. She has declared that she won't be involved with PTA next year because she just wants to Pinterest all year - making gifts and selling stuff! Good for her!

Good Post. Also hated Eat, Pray Love. Hate the term "Crazy-Busy." When someone says that I think they have failed to realize they have the choice to say NO.

Agreed. And I HATED eat pray love. So self righteous and annoying.

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the issue is the choice NOT to say No. And yes, it is often a choice. As an example, when someone from the PTA asks you to work on yet another project or a fundraiser, you have the choice to say No. But many choose to say Yes.

Great post, OP!

True...but if I frequently say no, then it's more work for those that do say yes, and/or the kids can't do X or don't have Y & Z school supplies. And I have also been that mom doing tons of work because most others said no. I do see you point, though. I guess it's about balance.

I think part of the issue is the choice NOT to say No. And yes, it is often a choice. As an example, when someone from the PTA asks you to work on yet another project or a fundraiser, you have the choice to say No. But many choose to say Yes.

Great post, OP!

I completely agree. DH works hard so that I can SAH and he puts the time in during business hours so that we CAN laze around on the weekends if we want to. And I work hard managing everything while at home so that I do have down time. Isn't that one of the fruits of labor?

totally agree with your point of view, OP - in fact, i jokingly refer to myself as the "lazy mom" in my circle

sadly, to many people -esp in this area IMO - life IS a race. it's a contest, it's about "keeping up" with other people. thanks but no thanks.

Anonymous wrote:Aren't we the most productive country in the world and other countries try to emulate this?

Nope!

Aren't we the most productive country in the world and other countries try to emulate this?

Your point about other cultures understanding the importance of slowing down is a very good one. We used to live in Europe and people were much more willing (or able?) to pause on the stoop and have a chat or have a casual dinner in someone's home and then sit around drinking coffee and chatting while the kids entertained themselves or snoozed nearby. I think part of that came from the fact that the parents (we didn't have kids at the time) were not uptight about bedtimes and eating schedules and nighttime routines. Life followed a more natural pattern from day to day. Most of the women worked, but everyone's workday was shorter and there were no horrible commutes where we lived. We have tried to keep some of that European flexibility with our kids and not become slaves to schedules.

Cute post. Good points.

I hated the book Eat pray Love. I know most people loved it, but I just kept thinking "get over yourself." BUT, one thing I read in that book really struck a chord with me. When she was in Europe, she talked about the American lifestyle. How people measure their own worth (and the worthiness of others) by how busy and hurried their lifestyle is. Other cultures (such as Europe) tend to laugh at us for making this our goal in life - to fill our days with so many little tasks that we are constantly on the go. Is it really a crime to stop and smell the roses? Not just every now and then...but often? How often do we put each other down by saying things like "what do you do all day?" or "you must have a lot of spare time on your hands." As if that's a bad thing! I was thinking about this tonight when talking to DH's friend. He proudly proclaimed that they are just too busy to watch very much TV anymore. "We never even get a chance to sit down on weekends or in the evenings!" His wife is a stay at home mom (as am I) and they have 1 child. It would be different if they never get to sit down because they are out enjoying life, but that's not what he was talking about. He was talking about busywork and time fillers. Im not saying it's a bad thing that they don't watch a lot of tv, and I realize that I don't know exactly how much of their hurriedness (is that a word?) is by choice. He's just the latest example - I hear this stuff all the time.

i was also reading a blog tonight that a fellow SAHM wrote. It was something like "Top 10 things not to say to SAHMs." then she went on to defend herself on all 10 items. She boasted about the fact that she rarely gets a chance to sit down at all during the day. Really? I've been a SAHM for almost 11 years. Very early on, I learned some strategies for carving out a little time to decompress almost every day. If I hadn't, they would have locked me up years ago! I often spend a good part of my afternoon playing board games or the Wii with my son and going on hikes around the neighborhood or to the park. Being able to stay home with my kids is a gift. I'm not gonna blow it by filling my days with menial tasks when it's not necessary. I read that lady's blog and just thought "geesh! get it together lady!" BTW, she has 2 kids, ages 9 and 2. Hmm. the 9yo is in school all day. You would think she could figure out how to sit down at some point while having a 2yo in the house.

Does it occur to anyone that they might lack time management skills?

I'm a SAHM of 3 kids. youngest in 1/2 day K. I have goals, I continue to make accomplishments, and I would say I'm a very productive person and do lots of volunteer work. Having said that, I am proud to say that I do have some spare time! Many of our weekends are slow. We try to minimize our kids activities, and our weekends are focused on fun, rest and relaxation. Don't get me wrong - we aren't a lazy family by any means. We don't just sit around staring at each other or watching tv. We like to go on family bike rides, hang out with friends, go to sporting events, go kayaking, camping, playing in the yard, etc. But every now and then, we will spend an entire saturday in our PJs!

I just wish that, when people are measuring their level of success, they would factor in their prioritizing and time management skills. I know that many people have no choice but to run themselves ragged. I'm not talking about those people. I'm talking about those of us who do have a choice. Life is short. Relax, people! It's not a race!