From Scratch...

I recently read a great blog post at PassionateHomeaking.com about "When Homemaking Gets in the Way of Mothering". There is definitely that feeling amongst us "crunchy" moms who are trying to make every meal from scratch, can food come fall, cloth-diaper and hang laundry, compost, garden, home-school, while baby-wearing and nursing, etc. that we have to be doing everything natural, eco, by hand in all arenas of our lives. 

How much time does this leave us to parent? Let alone for ourselves? Balance in all things is important. I'm not saying if you live this kind of lifestyle to go out once a week and grab fast food... that wouldn't mesh with your ethics for your family's nutrition. However, there must also be allowances or shortcuts we as full-time homemakers can offer ourselves. 

You may point out women have been doing all this and more in the past. Yet I don't think in the past there was the deep emphasis that we all are concerned with now, that of connecting with, acknowledging and truly bonding with our children. Yes, in the past a woman would/could have eight or more kids plus run the farm and make everything from scratch or by hand. Siblings contributed to raising younger siblings. Now with the norm being one to three children and our desire to really spend time with them how much of the laborious work enriches our lives and is there a point at which it can detract from our quality of time with our loved ones or enriching ourselves as women on a personal level?

If you find yourself feeling stressed about the routines you have created for yourself in trying to make the "perfect" mom-does-it-all home you must realize that stress will be felt by your family members in the form of feeling like a burden. I am personally striving to find the balance that leaves me enjoying it all, without doing it all. Make a list: What is important for me to do from scratch/by hand? What can I let go of and what are the substitutions I can live with in these areas?

If by eliminating one task it gives you 20 more minutes a day with your child or 20 more minutes a day for you to read a book for fun then it's well worth it. You won't remember all the household chores, repeated daily, at the end of your life. You will however take with you the joy of down time well spent creating memories.