Video streaming content Vs. Book Reading. - Convenience vs. Priority

Video streaming content Vs. Book Reading. - Convenience vs. Priority

Posted by Overthinking Aquarian on September 13, 2021 in bookreading, bookreadingclub, mommingandmore, taketimetoreadbooks,

I spent the entire last week binge watching and finishing 3 seasons of a currently trending show. 

I did not have to specially carve out time from my schedule for it. With the convenience of mobile devices, it is easy for me to watch any video content while doing chores. Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning - I had the show running on different devices in different parts of the house depending on which room and what chore I was doing. Convenient, right? - Getting entertained while doing the most mundane everyday chores. If the show is interesting enough, it makes me want to do more chores. 😆😆

But before all this online streaming and abundant availability of video content, my one and only hobby was book reading. I USED to read a lot. I say "used to" because I don't read as much anymore. The only books I read these days are for my kids. 

A few years ago, I had this conversation with a friend during which I looked back to pinpoint the time when my book reading graph slumped. It was right around the time when my cousin shared her account password with me, for a major online video streaming company. This was back in 2011.

For someone who loves to read books, I barely read any (less than 10) books in the past 5 years. The reason was always - "I don't have the time." 

Mom life no doubt took up ALL my time. Honestly, after a long day with work and kids, I never had the energy to sit down and read, or may be it was never a priority for me. I envied people who could read on planes, while I was stuck entertaining my kids. I saw people on vacations, lazing at the beach, reading a book, while I was running behind my kids - longing to find a few mins for myself. 

Given the choices of watching a trending show/movie or reading a recent best-seller, I would first finish the show because I get entertainment without having to compromise on my time. Will I get to reading the book, may be, but no guarantee that I would finish it at the same speed I finished watching the show. 

With my kids growing older and a little bit of routines and consistency falling in place in the household, I am slowly finding a tiny sliver of time which I can dedicate to reading books. May be not everyday, but a couple of times a week, definitely doable.

I am hoping that I can add book reading to my self-care routine. 

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Midweek Musings - "Grass is greener for that other mom!"

Midweek Musings - "Grass is greener for that other mom!"

Posted by Overthinking Aquarian on May 26, 2021 in mom decisions, momchoices, momlife, mommingandmore, motherhood, parenting, SAHM, stay at home mom, working moms,

 A mom blogger recently shared her feelings about how she took a break from her career to be a Stay at home mom (SAHM) to her toddler and how she was looking forward to the day she would resume her career some day, when the kid grows older.

ME - I've always been a working mom. It was never an option for me to take a break from work. There was never an option to choose being a SAHM. From a working mom's perspective, the daily juggle and maintaining the work life balance can get overwhelming at times, and there are days when I wish I did not have to deal with WORK. 

So, while reading this mom-blogger's post, all I could think of was how she had the privilege to even MAKE A CHOICE to stay at home. I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of this woman who gets to spend so much quality time with her kid. 

I was consumed by my own perspective and my deep underlying mom guilt of not having enough time in a day to spend with my kids. (They are never satisfied even if I spend all my waking hours with them). 

I got the opportunity to have a quick chat with her. She so very gracefully explained her position and her point of view - "For many families, the cost of childcare may be more than what a parent would earn in a year. So the most obvious choice for them is to have one parent stay at home with the kid." (Yes - there are a lot of stay at home dads too!)

This made me think hard - Is this really in a position of privilege? What is the privilege here?

- Moms who MAKE the choice to pause their career to become SAHM

- Moms who have no other choice but to be a SAHM

- Working Moms who cannot give up their careers/jobs to be a SAHM and juggle both. 

Any path we take, any choice we make - each has its own challenges. All we can do is try our best! 

P.S: no take-aways from this. Just a working mom's midweek musings. 

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Motherhood does not define a Woman!

Motherhood does not define a Woman!

Posted by Overthinking Aquarian on March 08, 2021 in independant woman, mommingandmore, motherhood, strong woman, what defines a woman, whatdefinesawoman mothersday, womensday,

 For all the women who are mothers, motherhood is a very big part of their life. 

Motherhood for many, is a default society requirement. For some, it is a CHOICE they can make and for some, it is just an unfulfilled wish. 

No matter how successful a woman is, how goal/career oriented she is - why does the society dictate that getting married and becoming a mother will make her a complete woman? A woman's worth is her entire life full of accomplishments - big or small. Motherhood does not and should not define a Woman.

Just like how characteristics like Patience, Perseverance, Resilience, Tenderness are usually associated with and EXPECTED from women, let us also normalize associating characteristics like Strength, Determination, Courage, Being Independent, Assertive, Leadership with women. 

Irrespective of who she chooses to be - Traditional or Modern, Conservative or Outgoing, Gentle or Fierce - Let us celebrate each woman's achievements and respect her for who she is.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!!

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