The Unpraised Job of Motherhood

Many say that it is the hardest job in the world. Do I agree? Absolutely. I have been entrusted with the most important responsibility of all - raising a child. Well, to be honest, it's two children, both daughters, born 14 months apart. The currency for this job is a little different to traditional roles for I am only paid in love and memories. It's a 24 hour a day, seven days per week, 52 weeks per year job, that doesn't have a completion date. I am, and will forever remain, a mother, mum, mama, mummy, mommy, and momma.

From the moment my children were conceived, I was responsible for their health and well-being. What I ate and consumed affected their growth and development, and any stresses that I put my body through could have ramifications upon the growing child. Every action I undertook had an impact on that child and its future self. I began to shape the world the moment I began to grow a child.

I honestly wonder if people realise what is involved in raising a child in today's world. We live in a world filled with so many issues that impact upon a child's self-esteem and mental health - social media, educational pressures, peer pressure, racism, environmental damage, unrealistic beauty standards, patriarchal domination, social judgement, and toxic masculinity. How I raise and educate my daughter's in relation to these issues, will affect how they relate to the world and deal with these problems in their lifetimes.

My motherhood role has a huge advantage over other jobs in that I get to wear so many different "hats" that I never considered part of my skillset (at least not before having children). On any one day I may be expected to assume the role of a chef ("mum, I'm hungry"), artist ("mum, I'm bored"), teacher ("mum, but why?"), personal dresser ("mum, I can't find my shoes"), nurse ("mum, the cat scratched me"), taxi driver ("mum, I can't be late for my ballet class"), maid ("mum, I spilt my glass of milk"), hairdresser ("mum, I can't wear my hair down for school, it must be tied up"), problem solver ("mum, I don't have enough bubble mixture to blow bubbles"), referee ("mum, she hit me"), and personal assistant (mum, can you fill in these forms for school?"). And yes, I am sure there are other roles that I have forgotten on this never-ending list.

However, that is not the only icing on the cake. Nothing beats watching your child read their first book, or write their name for the very first time. You patiently spend endless hours teaching them their ABC's, numbers and letters, and one day it suddenly clicks, and a whole new world of reading and writing opens up to them. The joy on their face as they read their first sentence is incredible to watch, and you burst with pride as their eyes light up with understanding. This little act of teaching them the love of books and reading is one of the biggest impacts you will have on your child's life.

There is untold happiness, and a sense of achievement, in teaching your child about nature and the environment around them. As a mother, you are responsible for showing them how to treat and respect the animals that share this planet with them, how to appreciate the natural world, and not to take it for granted. How we teach our children to view the world will determine whether our world survives in the future - have we taught them to protect and value the world, or to view it as simply another commodity to be utilised? I take my role very seriously in teaching my daughter's to respect and appreciate what this planet has to offer, and to protect this world, not further destroy it.

As a mother, you constantly worry about your child's future (this is kind of non-negotiable and part of the package of parenthood). The smartest way to ensure that their future is bright is to educate them on what is right and what is wrong, to instil discipline, to teach and show respect, and to provide a guideline for them to build their own foundation of morals and ethics. All these values will ensure that the child is equipped to choose and follow a rewarding path in life. Knowing that, as a mother, I am responsible for shaping my child's future in such a way is one of the greatest responsibilities that I could ever have. If I succeed here, then they will succeed in the future.

The role of motherhood has changed greatly since I was a child myself. The patriarchal system is slowly, but persistently, crumbling and feminism is no longer a dirty word. Today's mother has the freedom to teach her daughter's that they are "enough" as they are and in themselves. No longer do I have to teach my daughter's to primp and preen to impress the opposite sex, instead, I am blessed and honoured to teach them self respect and self-love, and to affirm that they have the opportunity to follow a life path of their choosing. As their mother, I have been given the opportunity to build the strength and ambition that my daughters will need to carve their own path through life.

One of my greatest achievements as a mother has been the opportunity to break generational chains and patterns that have been detrimental to the mental and emotional growth of children. I will not stand by and allow anyone to label my child stupid, a failure, hopeless, a loser - all words that parents have freely used in previous generations when referring to their offspring. These labels do not exist in my vocabulary. If a child tries or attempt something but does not succeed, then they are learning and growing, not failing. My job as a mother has allowed me to say, "this stops now and ends with me"! My children will not suffer the same fate.

Previous generational patterns of teaching and instilling racism and hatred have been broken through sheer hard work and education. I have allowed my children the freedom to love whom they choose, no questions asked, no judgement delivered. Leading by example I have shown my daughters that everyone walks a different life path and that they have no authority or right to judge. I have given all of myself to show my children that equality, respect and justice is something that is to be given to all persons, not just those whom society deems as deserving. Watching my children include everyone in their friendship circle shows me that I have been successful to raise educated, open-minded, loving, considerate humans.

I have my role as a mother to thank for my deep-seated love of scrapbooking. Being the memory keeper and storyteller for my family fills my heart with so much gratitude and appreciation for the moments and memories that I have been given the privilege to record for posterity. Before children, I had no concept of what scrapbooking was, or even what it entailed. Becoming a mother opened up a whole new creative outlet that has brought so much happiness and peace to my soul. These are the stories that will one day be told to my grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. This is how I will creatively shape the future generations born into this world.

Becoming a mother is probably the biggest blessing you can be granted. But with it comes immense responsibility. Motherhood does not arrive with a guidebook, you learn as you go, or you rely on your parents and friends who have already walked in these shoes before you. This role gives you a whole new appreciation and immense gratitude for your parents and what they endured to raise you. So not only does motherhood shape your relationship with your own children, it reshapes and redefines the relationship you have with your own parents. That in turn changes your whole outlook on life, and how you prioritise what is now important.

Motherhood, and my role as my daughters' teacher, will have the biggest impact on the world, of all roles possible, for I am raising the children who will become the adults of the future, and who will shape the world in their own way. The future of our planet is in the hands of the children that we raise. Without a doubt, this is the most tiring, stressful, selfless, draining, emotional, difficult, and scary role I have ever filled, but it is also the most incredibly rewarding. Nothing else even comes close.

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