Quality Time

The wife had a talk show on yesterday and I happened to catch a minute of it. It was a group of celebrities talking about being working Moms. They were saying how difficult it was to balance career and parenting.
Then they were discussing scheduling quality time with their children. Oh, the challenges they face.
I couldn't help but chuckle a bit thinking about the amount of money and resources they have at their disposal yet complaining about how difficult it is. Try raising several children on a limited income while paying the mortgage,car insurance,utilities,food bills,clothing,and a host of other expenses. Then I will listen to your complaints. They complain about working long hours on the set. Try some long hours working at the bank or office. No catering service providing lunch and no nannies to watch the kids.What gets me is they started talking about scheduling quality time with their children. Really. Let me pencil little Bobby in for five on Saturday. Are they serious ? If they aren't smart enough to figure it out themselves surely they could hire an advisor (I'm available) to tell them it doesn't work like that. That is not what was intended with Planned Parenthood. You can not schedule affection and caring. Quality Time,a recent catch phrase, happens spontaneously. It is like a good picture. The best ones are not posed. When you have children their needs should come first. You can not just fit them in when you have time. A little less "me" time and a lot more" them "is the recipe. These celebrities were talking about raising children as though it was an occupation. Another clue, raising your children is a lifetime commitment and responsibility. You do not get to choose when you would like to do it.
Quality time. The times I colored pictures with the kids,made a snowman,helped with their homework,played catch,rode bicycles,had a foot race,raked the leaves in the yard,went swimming,baked a cake,read a book,told them stories,drove them to sports,drove them to work,held them when they cried and held them when they laughed. That was quality time. Never scheduled that stuff,it just happens like that. Life isn't a movie set where you can stage each event. There is no second take until you get it right.
You are making millions of dollars doing what you want to do. You chose to be an actor or whatever and have been successful. Good for you and I enjoy your performances but I really don't want to hear the complaints. I wanted to go back packing in the Himalayas but had kids to raise. My choice,my responsibility.
Given enough money I would have stayed home from work and spent that time with the kids. I love my job,but not that much ! First year I make a million I'm done. Then I'll schedule me some quality time !