BALANCING OUT THE BALANCING ACT

 
- Liane Weintraub, Editor-in-Chief

As anyone who's spent time on Tastybaby.com knows, we talk a lot about all the different facets of parenthood and the challenges of creating (not to mention maintaining) a balance among all of these. In fact, "balance" is something of a mantra for us. It's part of our tag-line  ("the Flavor of a Balanced Life"), and it's what we strive for during every waking hour of our lives. I'd guess that if Shannan and I were the types to get tattoos (we're not, by the way, mostly because of the PAIN factor!), we'd probably both have that word permanently emblazoned on our bodies – that's how focused we are on trying to achieve the elusive "balance" between work, motherhood, wifehood, good citizenry and, to be blunt about it, not letting ourselves go in the process!  With all that effort to balance everything "important," things like, say, haircuts, haircolor and basic "maintenance" can easily go by the way-side.

Bad hair day, stage 1: pony tail

I've made no secret about the fact that personally, this juggling act has posed a significant challenge. It is, quite simply, the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. A multi-tasker by nature, I've always been good at doing lots of things at once – and doing them at a standard of which I've always been proud. That was, until I had a baby. And then another one. Oh, and a business.  

How could it suddenly be so difficult for my Type A self to cope?  In the past I pulled off so many projects at a time that if multi-tasking were an Olympic sport, I could've been a medalist. I managed to keep all those proverbial balls in the air and even pulled it all off with a touch of panache, so what gives all of a sudden?!

Bad hair day, stage 2: scarf

I have to think that the big difference now (read, "now that I'm a mother") is that there's an intensity of emotion that simply hadn't existed before. Sure, I'm a perfectionist and I care deeply about the quality of my work ... or my cooking ... or my gift-wrapping ... you get the picture. But never before had everything mattered quite as much since now everything I do is either for my children or – and here's where it gets tricky – instead of being with them. It's hard not to think of it as being either "for" the kids or, in some way, "against" them, and the guilt factor is immense. 

Nowadays everything gets held up to the is-this-worth-leaving-my-kids-for test, which is a toughie. Take haircuts. Lately I've been known to let it slide until my roots and split ends are so out of, um, shall we say "balance," that everyone is literally begging me to go to the salon! You can snicker, but both Shannan and I had this happen just last week. No joke.  Why do you think I'm always sporting a ponytail? 

Bad hair day, stage 3: hat

I think the answer (and therefore my sanity – or at least my follicles) lies in relaxing that is-this-worth-leaving-my-kids-for standard, which isn't easy for a lot of us. But at the end of the day, I have to admit that all I've been doing in my so-called quest for "balance" is setting myself up for endless guilt since nothing is actually "worth" leaving your kids for. My little test is actually a trap.

So, what's my resolution for 2008?  I guess it's to get a little more balanced about how I pursue my Balance … that, and try to have a few more good hair days than I did in 2007, although you shouldn’t be too surprised if you happen to catch me with a good old ponytail!

A good hair day, at last!