sacrifice
i am a martyr. i suffer -- often for fun. but i do not think i suffer from martyrmom.
i do not believe that i work any harder than most moms. i do not shoot down my husband's attempts to parent, only to complain that he does nothing and that i have to. do. it. all. i do things that are convenient, or if not quite convenient, things that are simple and avoid toddler confrontation/meltdown. i have access to free, safe and wonderful childcare and i make no bones about taking advantage of that. i do not keep the home spotless and when i do clean, i do not use only "green" cleansers. i have no problem telling cam i want takeout and that the child can have french fries for dinner for the second night in a row. i like that my toddler likes blue's clues. i get tired of reading aloud the same passage in a storybook over and over again just because it contains fun words like "bang" and "crash." i cheerfully switch cds when a boy stops dancing to "it's a small world" because i can't stand it anymore.
i do not think taking the weight of my household on my shoulders would make me a better mother.