Read About Work... After Work?

My husband always laughs at me when I tell him the latest book I am reading, or writing. He thinks it is so funny that I really focus my reading on crude, humor based books around motherhood. I rarely read parenting books that teach, well, parenting. Why? Well for one, I am kinda a know-it-all and (mommy confession) being a mother of four, think I seriously know more than the author of ANY parenting book. Is that cocky? Probably. But the main reason why I do not read parenting books is this: as a stay at home mother, my life is consumed by motherhood. I live and breath my children. My escape is the grocery store, where I buy them food. Everything I am is my children. All four of them. All the time.

After any person gets off work, do they want to read a book about how they could have done their job better? My husband is a train conductor. When he asked me why I read crude mommy books this was my reply: Here is a book on how to drive a train, sit down and read it. Maybe even study it. You just worked hours 12 hours which is at least 2 hours less than my day. I also am "on call" for a midnight feeding and a 3am feeding. I am supposed to read a serious book on how to stay calm during this? How it improve myself as a mother? Reflect on what I am doing wrong, and how I am to fix it? I am still alive, the children are still alive, we ate, bathed, and are in bed. We laughed, we cried, we even learned a little. We did it. The day is done. Mission accomplished. Why should I read a book making me feel like a failure because I didn't do it the way someone else may? This is a war zone, buddy. A very blessed, full of love, war zone. We are all just doing our best, getting though the tough days and loving the good days. The last thing I will do is read a book about work, after I get off work. That's crazy talk  right there.

Don't get me wrong here... I love my family. I love my life. But, some days those little toddlers/preschoolers drive me freaking nutty. Seriously nutty. On those days or anyday really, the last thing I will do is feel bad about trying my hardest.