Did Sisyphus Have Kids?

Whenever my kiddos hit a transition or a particular routine has run its course and I have to figure out how to make things work again, I think that sometime, somewhere, somehow, someone has been through this before. It makes me feel that motherhood--parenting, really--is like the myth of Sisyphus. I keep pushing that boulder uphill, only to have it come rolling down again.

For example, the same week Valerie started school, Andrew figured out how to climb out of the playard (which is what the Co-Sleeper is called when it is no longer being used as a bassinet). I used put him in the playard when I needed him to be in a safe confined space while I unloaded the groceries from the car, or did the dishes, etc. Not anymore. It might not seem like a big deal, but I had a system in place that worked for me and now I have to figure out a new solution.

There is example after example. Bedtime routines, weaning, room cleaning, you name it. Parents make the same kinds of decisions over and over and over. Maybe if we all still lived in villages surrounded by extended family, friends, and neighbors we had known our whole lives we would have so much help and advice it would be easier. But many young families like mine don't live like that these days. We don't live near family or even in the same city where we grew up. We have to go searching for new community. We have to actively seek out and build the relationships we need to support us.

One of the reasons I began writing this blog was to put my voice and experiences out there for other mothers--other parents--who might identify with aspects of my own life. Blogging and reading other blogs (and reaching out to old and new friends on Facebook) are part of my attempt to create connections with others facing some of the same situations and challenges as I do in my daily life. It's nice to have my internet community at my fingertips when I need support and also when I'm in the mood to celebrate motherhood...and here I'd like to send out a collective thank you!

But the way it feels sometimes, I wonder if Atlas had kids.