Song for a Fifth Child (well . . . fourth in my case)

Song for a Fifth Child

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.



I saw this poem on another blog and LOVED it. It is OK that my house isn't clean all the time, and that things on my to-do list take a long time to get crossed off . . . I am doing the most important thing. The whole reason I don't have a job outside the home. I am there to share in loving moments. Their needs are first- including the special moments where I play pretend or draw pictures with my three year old, or rock, tickle and snuggle my sweet baby (which I could do for hours), or read a book with my 6 year old, or listen (not just half listen) to my 9 year old boy jabber on about his favorite video game or the silly thing his friend did at school. I have to remember these moments are the TRUE reason I am home for them. Wanting to have a perfectly beautiful house, children who are accomplished in music and sports and perfectly behaved, and an amazing meal on the table every night is not only unrealistic, but selfish. I can still strive to do those things, but perfection and stress is not the goal. I need and want to stop an savor the moments I have with my young children, slow down and truly enjoy them, for truly, they are growing up WAY too fast. With baseball season in full force (both Marcus and Cynthia are doing baseball which means practice or a game almost every night), and violins needing to be practiced, school work and scouts needing to be done - - we have all been feeling a bit stretched. So- my new goal is not to stress over these things, but just take it as we need to - - and not stress about the things NOT getting done around the house or on my to do list. It feels like my mind is always going in so many different directions. . . my goal is to stop and focus on my children and really be there for them for those simple and special moments.