Wishcasting Wednesday: Step

The question Jamie poses this week is:

What step do you wish to take?

This is really at the crux of my current challenge.

What to do next?

Years ago I was given advice by a woman with five children, spaced roughly the same as mine, but her youngest was able to babysit my eldest. She had always had a high-powered, big control, well-paying career,  up until she had children. At that point she gave it all up to stay home and care for the little beasts. When I met her she was trying to figure out whether or not she should go back to work. And, if she did, what would she do? After all, at that point she had been out of the system for over 20 years.

Her advice was that she should have continued to work until her eldest was around 12 - when he stopped speaking to her. She was probably right. My circumstance was a bit different and I did stay home with the intention of always staying home. Though, now that my kids are 13, 12, 10 and 9, I find myself getting a bit stir-crazy surrounded by laundry and household projects all the time.

Though I do understand what she meant, and it is through this period of hormones, angst and anxiety that I have my greatest challenge as parent. I have to listen more, talk less and just be here for all of them.

My next step?

My wish is for something that will provide challenge and fulfillment while still giving me quality time with my family while they no longer speak to me.

Because it's going to be just a phase, right?