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*Dear readers, today I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at Mothering4 about helpful tips for teaching boys, and I’m excited to welcome Mandi from Life...Your Way to Like a Bubbling Brook. Enjoy!*
Do you have a passion, something that excites you, keeps you up late at night and is always running through your head?
For stay-at-home moms, this question can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, we may have a passion that we’re dying to pursue, but on the other, we believe that being present for our kids is our most important job. The question, then, is whether we can have both!
Not only do I believe we can have both, but I truly believe that pursuing our passions outside of our family – whether it be a business idea, a hobby, a ministry or whatever – benefits out whole family in several ways:
A creative outlet.
Whether you’re a natural artist or someone bubbling with business ideas, having a creative outlet allows you to express yourself in your own way, which actually makes you a more peaceful, less stressed and happier mom. Whether you find this kind of outlet in the written word, painting, helping others or building a business, using your skills and passions actually refreshes and recharges you so that you can pour more into your family as well.
Stretch and grow.
When we’re pursuing our passion, we’re learning new skills, trying new things and stretching ourselves to do better. Stretching and growing invigorates you and actually improves your brain health, both now and for the future.
Inspire your kids.
My hope for each of my kids is that they would lead intentional, thoughtful lives, knowing why they believe what they believe and why they do what they do. I also hope they discover and pursue their passions at every stage of life, because I believe God has given each of them unique skills and interests and that He will use those to His glory. What better way to inspire my kids to pursue their passions than to pursue my own?
Boredom forces creativity.
Similarly, when we’re pursuing our own passion, it means that our kids have to spend time entertaining themselves. While I’m not suggesting that you should never do crafts, read to or cook with your kids (which are all great things!), many moms feel guilty if they’re not interacting with or entertaining their kids every moment of every day. Leaving kids to their own devices, ignoring their cries of “I’m bored!” and letting them come up with their own ideas is as important as the activities we do with them!
Next time you feel guilty for wanting to pursue your passion, remember that it’s good for everyone in your family and set the mommy guilt aside!
What is your passion?
Mandi Ehman is a wife and homeschooling mom of four spunky little girls. She’s also the founder of Life...Your Way, an online magazine dedicated to helping readers sort through all of the information and opinions that are thrown at them each day, and the author of How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too, an ebook designed to inspire and empower moms to pursue their passions.
*Visit Life...Your Way to see all of the Ultimate Blog Swap participants!*
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Mandi – thank you so much for this. It has given me much food for thought. Christmas is my passion and I have run decorating/craft seminars for years now. The fact that they are an annual event frees me up the rest of the year but I have only ever run them as a ministry, never charged and resisted the suggestions to start a business. I always struggle with this business/ministry dilemma. The fear is I suppose that I would get too busy and neglect my family. Also, I don’t feel right charging people for my ideas. I make handmade Christmas bon bons which I am now considering making to sell at markets. If it is going to work I will need the help of my family – mainly for the set up of the markets. My two homeschool graduates are both setting up their own businesses (one up and running) with lots of encouragement from me – so maybe they will be there to encourage me!
My passion has become writing my blog. It’s the only thing that I do just for me. I love writing and connecting with other writers, but I do feel a tremendous amount of guilt because I’m not playing with my son. It’s good to here someone else say it’s ok to leave him to his own devices sometimes. So, thanks:)
I’ve recently realized that it’s okay for me to pursue my passion online (natural health) and not worry about entertaining 4.5yo DS every moment of the day, b/c it forces him to get creative.
Anyway, I get most of my work done before DH leaves for work in the morning, so I’ve got the best of both worlds.
Yes, it is good to keep balance between meeting the needs of family and continuing to cultivate ourselves- my creative outlet is writing… still working on that balance, though! For me, it is not so much about not wanting my children to be bored but just having more that I want to do than hours in the day to do it all. great post!
I have been loving your posts lately. They are thought provoking and challenging. I love arts and crafts, but my biggest passion is my job.
I work part time as a paramedic.
Sometimes if I do a few extra shifts I remember my biggest job is my family and I am blessed in that I can pick and choose when I work, so it is maybe once a week.
I see how it benefits my family because they realise that on every day I go to work it is to help someone else.
Maybe a someone who will vomit on me, or yell at me because they’re drunk, but all of them I try my best to be a blessing to.
One of the most important things I want to teach my boys is empathy – and “the greatest of these is love”.
Whatever they do, wherever they go, if they do this, everything else will be well with them.