And I saw Sisyphus too, trapped in his eternal struggle, grappling with that enormous boulder, hands straining, feet pushing, as he fought to roll the stone uphill. Just when it seemed ready to tumble over the edge, the relentless weight would send it crashing back down, forcing him to start again. This cycle of effort and frustration felt achingly familiar.
“How’s it going?” is a question I hear regularly. For years, I responded with “fine” or “good,” regardless of what was actually happening in my life. But after my son was born, those simple replies felt not only inadequate but disingenuous. You can’t just open up to a stranger and say, “My baby cries so much that I run just to drown out her wails. Yet, I’m so fortunate to have access to care and treatments, but honestly, I’m overwhelmed. I’m both miserable and grateful!”
So, I settled on a more socially acceptable response: “I can’t complain.”
As someone who has chosen to stay home after a professional career, I really can’t complain. Still, I often find myself wanting to because parenting can feel an awful lot like a never-ending trial. Fast forward six years and two kids later, and I’m once again on the receiving end of a relentless stream of demands. My youngest is crying, “mahh, mahh, mahh,” trying to get more grapes from me, while I’m standing on sore feet, juggling chicken-apple sausage in the pan, stirring brown rice pasta, and turning Brussels sprouts.
My older child chimes in, voice raised: “It’s not fair! None of the other kids have to do this! Why did you make me go to the doctor? You’re the worst mom ever! If you hadn’t made me go, I wouldn’t have to take this medicine. And I hate it!”
Her ongoing complaints mix with the baby’s cries, creating a symphony of chaos. Meanwhile, my toddler is dashing around the room, navigating his own obstacle course of overturned chairs.
After a few minutes, tears well up in my eyes. I don’t take the accusations personally, but the emotional weight is undeniable. Even as the tears slip down into the skillet, I wish I could escape to a quiet place.
We lose sleep, wait long hours for simple things, feel hunger pangs, endure noise, and often lack personal space—all common experiences for parents. And interestingly, these experiences resemble techniques used in interrogation, like those mentioned in the classic manual Criminal Interrogation and Confessions, where stress levels are heightened to break down resistance.
This feels a lot like the challenges of parenting, especially when you add a sibling into the mix, which brings on mood swings that go from “Mommy, you’re the best!” to “You’re the meanest lady ever!”
Let’s be real, though; it’s not torture—especially compared to the harrowing experiences of refugees facing unimaginable loss. But parenting can feel torturous in its own right. It’s like continuously unloading the dishwasher just to load it again, unpacking lunch boxes only to repack them, taking out the trash just to fill it again—all while managing countless other tasks and emotional hurdles, day after day, for years on end.
Sisyphus’s plight represents the essence of tedious work, but I find it hard to see it that way. He’s pouring all his energy into moving that rock. What makes his task epic is its endlessness; the challenge goes on forever.
So here I stand, facing yet another sink full of dishes, brimming with frustration and a desire to escape the chaos. While I know I shouldn’t complain, I have a mountain of reasons to want to.
If you want to learn more about parenting, check out our other blogs, like this one where we dive into the world of home insemination. For reliable information on the process, visit Make a Mom’s page, which is a great authority on the topic, and Healthline, an excellent resource for pregnancy and home insemination.
Summary:
Parenting can feel like an endless struggle, akin to Sisyphus’s eternal task of pushing a boulder uphill. The daily challenges, from managing multiple children’s needs to the emotional rollercoaster, can be overwhelming. Yet, despite the chaos, there’s a deep sense of responsibility and gratitude that accompanies this journey. Understanding these feelings can help parents navigate their own paths with more grace and humor.