11/12/2022
So many people in my life have said a version of âYou are a neuroscientist. You must be so bored being home taking care of a baby.â
This is such a complicated thing to hear. It makes me sad and angry that the work of parenting and caregiving is perceived to be mundane with no value. While work outside the home is seen as valuable real work.
Being with my baby is the most important, challenging and dynamic things I have ever done. It is so valuable, so transformative, so healing and so rewarding. So much of the work is invisible. Itâs mental math of sleep patterns, behavior patterns, development, feeding, diapers, laundry, clothes inventory, appointments. Itâs managing my emotions, self regulation, holding space. Itâs influencing babyâs emotions, attuning to emotional states, predicting emotions, up regulating emotions and down regulating emotions, emotional coaching. Its being in a relationship, being present, being mindful.
Some of us are privileged to have parental leave. Many of us do our job inside the home and outside the home at the same time.
Being with a baby builds the minds of the future. Itâs time for our society to understand and recognize the enormity of the work.
Every important and meaningful job is hard. And there are many things that can significantly help families with the early years. We need our role to be respected and revered for its utmost importance, we need parental leave, flexible work, supportive workplaces, access to high quality childcare, access to perinatal professionals, medical professionals educated in infant mental health and normal infant needs, support networks.
Together we can create a Nurture Revolution đđ§ đ
