WHAT a question! I’ve pondered this a ton lately amidst the frustrations of being a mom. 🙂 It’s HARD! Being a stay at home, homeschooling mom is very exhausting and sometimes it is not as rewarding as I somehow envisioned it! Especially when I have to hear whining, crying, fighting, and other dramatic feats by my kids (like I’m listening to RIGHT now as I write this… SIGH!)
So what would I do had I never had children?
Simple answer: I have *no* idea!!!
When I was first married, I got licensed as a massage therapist. I really enjoyed it, but is this something that I would have done with my life? I have no clue! I also worked at daycare before having kids… would I have continued that or become a teacher or something like that? Possibly.
Most of my interests now are tied to my own children. My desire to get into (and then out of and then loosely back into as a HSer) teaching was related to my children and what I thought would be convenient for my family’s needs. I got into doula work through my own birth experiences all because of my children… I decided I loved prenatal massage and childbirth education… again, all because of my own children!
I just don’t know what I would do without the influence of having children. I got married young (at 18) and had kids fairly young (started at 21), so I don’t really have that life experience to know myself as a non-parent adult. Do you ever feel that way? On one hand, I’m glad I did that because now I’ll get to rediscover myself when they move out in 17/18 years… On the other hand, I am having an identity crisis right now. 😉
What about you? Assuming no kid involvement, what do you or did you want to be?
crystal says
totally get the identity crisis mode!!!!!!! 😉 everything i do is for my kids. so many people say….. hey you really could start a cake business or do photography, even craft and sell. but honestly i get no joy in any of those things if it’s not for MY family. couponing is fun but the joy i get out of it is all the yummy stuff i can feed my kids for cheap, and because of it we are better able to do the things we want and need to do. would i Q if i didn’t have kids, NOPE probably not… i’d prob be in debt some how!
but my kids are going to school soon and then what is my next step!!!!!!????????? thanks for your post.
East9thStreet says
Great question – I would really want Samantha Brown’s job on the Travel Channel! To get paid to eat and travel? How perfect is that? But something probably more attainable (considering I hate being on the other side of the camera) I really wish I had the patience and creativity to be a cake decorator. My grandmother was a self-taught one who did an excellent job. I wish I would have spent more time with her learning the tricks to the trade.