Best Mom Tip #33: Make a mom resume

I've been feeling a bit down about myself lately. I'm much jigglier than I used to be--except in the places that I wish had a bit more jiggle. I don't currently like my hair or my clothes. I don't always have the patience with my beautiful children that I should. I'm not a particularly good housekeeper and I really don't cook all that well. Honestly, I'm not a good housewife.

I AM a good teacher, but I've chosen to leave my profession for a little while to be with my kids and save some money on daycare. I could, of course, return to my job, but as you all know that comes with it's own host of stressful choices. And working or not really isn't the point. The problem is more that I have pretty high expectations for myself and I get really frustrated when I don't meet up to them.

Hence my mom resume. Instead of focusing on what I do wrong--daughter's room is messy, bathroom is worse, laundry is dirty--I've decided to make a list of the skills I possess as a mom. Unlike my real resume that lists the skills I have in the work place, these are things I have become good at since becoming the Mommy. They're not particularly marketable, but they sure are useful at home. So here goes:

1. I can change a diaper with the fewest possible number of wipes, coat a baby with diaper cream, and redress said baby in under a minute.
2. I can argue with the insurance company about a wide variety of items that have resulted from their ineptitude.
3. I can read a bed-time story with silly voices and great inflection in order to thrill a preschooler.
4. I can kiss boo-boos and make them stop hurting.
5. I can be the safest place in the world for two small people.
6. And I can do numbers 1 through 5 all at the same time.

My mom resume is just getting started, but I feel better already. What can you do just because you're the mom?