I have accepted that I am not particularly happy being at home with my kids, but I still feel like it’s the right thing for my family, and being honest about that is important.
a fresh approach to having it all
The Authors
Hollee and Becky
Becky
Beaupre Gillespie
An award-winning journalist who left a newspaper career to be home with her daughters, Becky is happiest creating her own (ever-evolving) fit between work and family.
@beckyinbalance
Hollee
Schwartz Temple
A law professor with a master's degree in journalism, Hollee found her true passion when she began writing about the issues facing modern moms.
@holleeinbalance
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A possibility . . . recognizing and being honest with yourself about what “makes you happy” is important. This has to do with self-awareness. Whether or not to “accept” the way that you respond to the world – children, family, friends, strangers, the weather – however, is, as you suggest, a decision. Whether something makes us “happy” at a given moment, is dependent on our needs which, to a large extent, are based on perceptions v. some innate “true version” of ourselves. While it is perfectly reasonable to “accept” the fact that being at home with your kids does not make you happy then sacrifice out of a sense of love, etc. it is also possible – if you chose to stay home – to develop perspectives/values that allows this to make you “happy;” beyond the satisfaction gained from altruism. We are as capable of controlling our perceptions and our happiness- if we can be first be honest with ourselves, as you note – as our perceptions are of controlling us and our happiness; at least that’s my perception.