Balancing Motherhood and Other Roles

I've been pondering the balance between my mothering self and the other roles and resposibilities I take on.

I thought this would be a great topic of discussion here.

What roles and responsibilties make up your identity? And how do you combine, or juggle them with motherhood? Is there anything that feels inauthentic? Or anything that works really well with your mothering tasks and being?

I generally find it more helpful to list what I am not, rather than what I am. I am not my emotions. I am not my work. I am not even my mothering. These things & others all contribute to what makes up my sense of identity, but I myself am different again to all of that. I guess what makes up 'me' is my beliefs, my character, my actions; my heart, soul, and spirit.

That doesn't really answer the OP though, does it.

I try not to have a conflict between mothering and other things, for example work. I work from home, or take AJ with me where possible. I'm quitting a job where I can't do that (today is my last day, hooray!). I do try to balance that with not living my life centred on him, though. Mothering is not the most important part of me.

I actually think I do a good job of it. The fact that I have two, one much older, enables me to leave them alone for a while so I can get stuff done. Plus, having an older one - who homeschools - means I have a fantastic helper!

This morning I nearly drove a pitch fork through them both though coz I was on the phone to optus and they both kept shouting and the voice recognition thing kept putting me through to the wrong department It must happen to everyone, it's just REALLY ANNOYING!