Seeking Balance: A Parenting Myth





GUEST POST from Kelly at Beer and Junk. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter.


Author’s Note: This post originally Appeared in the Emmetsburg Democrat and Reporter in March of 2014. We no longer have an 8 month old son with a saturated diaper. We have an almost 3 year old son who refuses to wear underwear and craps on the floor. My apologies for the confusion.


The most recent issue of Health magazine arrived in my mailbox last week, with the headline: Alison Sweeney and Her Super Balanced Life! Allison Sweeny is an actress, host of The Biggest Loser and star of the soap opera, Days of Our Lives. She also has two children, a husband who works full time as a state patrolman and has written two novels, one of which was written in half hour increments while her children did their homework.


I have a hard time believing that Alison Sweeney’s life is super balanced. I’m guessing that it took a lot of make-up, forgiving lighting and some very creative journalism to make it appear that way for this particular article. And I would put money on the fact that when the interview was over, there were five text messages from her son who forgot his homework in the car, two missed calls from her agent regarding a contract change, and one voice mail from her husband saying that an accident on the 101 was going to keep him at the office late and could she possibly pick up the kids from soccer.


Alison Sweeney, Hollywood actress, gets paid to tell you all about her super balanced life, but let’s pretend for a minute that Alison Sweeney is your best friend. What Alison Sweeney, BFF, would tell you- when the cameras are off and the two of you are sitting in a quiet cafĂ© drinking lattes… no scratch that- when the two of you are on the phone three states apart respectively chugging sugar free Redbull and reheated coffee while simultaneously putting away groceries, feeding the dog, and translating algebra homework- is that her life is bat crap crazy.


And that is ok. I’m convinced that seeking balance has simply become another way of chasing perfectionism. We continue to believe that if we could only make our lives more balanced in the multitude of ways thrown at us in the media- Less Caffeine! More Yoga! Work Less, Play More! Declutter! Detox! Destress!– we would be happy. “Balance” may have become a popular buzzword, but it is incredibly over rated.


My life is not simply unbalanced, it is saturated. Occasionally it is saturated like my eight month old son’s diaper, when I have to realize that I simply cannot cram one more thing into my schedule, no matter how economically fantastic it may be to make homemade laundry detergent. Most often though,it is saturated like the perfect color of burnt orange paint on the living room walls of our first home; a color that both took over the room and yet somehow made all of its lovely details- the newly refinished hardwood floors, coved ceilings, and intricate woodwork- stand out in contrast. Balance simply can’t compare to the sense of accomplishment that rises up out of chaos, the creativity found hiding among the mess, and the sheer joy of doing everything you love, all at once.


And now if you will excuse me I need to run to the store, we seem to be out of baby formula and Red Bull.

17 comments:

  1. If you own the magnificent LG G6 smartphone, then you must be wandering how to protect this expensive phone with a cover that would look chic as

    well as provide protection to accidental drops and other hazards. Well you have to look no further as I have a well comprised list of some of the

    best LG G6 phone covers. Just have a look at my site here for all the information Best LG G6 Cases

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love this post. This is so true whether you are any celebrity or a simple house wife,both have same responsibility towards their home,husband and children. Thats how life could be perfectly balanced.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Playbox is one of the best apps among all the others which provide streaming of movies and tv shows.
    The best part is, it is absolutely free for everyone and it also provides multiple resolution of the videos.To watch Horror Movies online.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Virtually every time you'll find your favourite movie on Vumoo. source for more about yesmovies.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Other great thing about visiting the movies is 123 moovies that it is possible to take a rest from your hectic life and be in a position to lose yourself in film.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for posting such a great article! I found your website perfect for my needs
    Read More

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bonsai experts have, throughout the years, idealized the specialty of making that tormented, matured appearance. website

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing blog that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. Binge

    ReplyDelete
  10. https://ussdcodes.in What a fantabulous post this has been. Never seen this kind of useful post. I am grateful to you and expect more number of posts like these. Thank you very much.

    ReplyDelete

Welcome to the Sh*t Show

Subscribe to Suburban Sh*t Show to enjoy new weekly posts. Never miss a thing!