Life with Children. What would life be without them?
Life with Children
I always wanted a life with children, even so that life wasn’t always easy growing up with five brothers. As a young German girl, I had responsibilities. Lots of them—including helping my mother with the laundry, sewing, and other household chores while my father was at work. Tough as it was, it in no way dissuaded from having a family of my own. I wanted children, lots of children. My dream came true when I had two boys and two girls—the perfect balance—which was rather unusual in Germany at the time.
After my third child, I can remember standing in line at a department store in Bonn (once the capital of Germany) and a woman near the register asked me if all three kids were mine. Her question was posed as if I were being interrogated—like a criminal. I proudly replied, “Yes, and we’re only halfway there.” She scorned, scoffed, and professed that two were perfectly enough. Even my own mother told me, “You have two children, one healthy boy and one healthy girl. There is nothing more in life. You should stop.” Societal restraints and my mom’s wishes weren’t going to stop me. After all, it wasn’t about having a boy or a girl. It was about having a family—and all the love and joy that comes with it. So, the bigger, the better.
Sure, life as a stay-at-home mother was challenging, but it was also a hundred times more fulfilling. My hope is to pass along some advice and simple strategies to help make life easier and more rewarding for the whole family. Schedules, routines, and structure are an absolute must in today’s fast-paced, erratic, need-everything-now world. And in this economy, so is raising a family on a budget. It’s all about having the right tools. I’ll show you how to get them and how to use them—The Oma Way.
Just keep checking back from time to time. And tell me your story. Just like I promise to tell you mine.
Raising four children was certainly difficult at times, but I don’t regret a single day of my life with children. (“If there is a will, there’s a way.”) They paid me back in full with four beautiful, loving grandchildren. And without them, I wouldn’t be Oma.