Hello, hola, and howdy!Welcome
to Creating while Caregiving, a series I am excited to be guest
blogging about for the month of August. As an artist, writer, mother of
four, active community member and raging empath, I care deeply about
this topic. Before we jump in to the first post, a little
about myself. All along, the tension between the duty to care for others and the desire to create for myself has been constant. Sometimes,
I have managed the push and pull well, other times, not so much. Achieving
that ephemeral balance involves sacrifices on everyone’s part. In
the face of increased pressure to produce on demand, it is essential
that we recognize the real cost of creativity and not treat ourselves
like robots. As we are all becoming increasingly aware, even the robots
need massive amounts of energy to create. Picture Books for Caregivers to feel Seen:While many picture books focus on the magic of childhood, I gravitated towards the ones that acknowledged the drudgery of dishes and diapers. These are the books that made me feel seen on the days when there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Most focus on childcare, since they are picture books, but fellow inductees of the sandwich generation will see their eldercare struggles reflected with a little squinting (just take off your readers). Leave Me Alone! By Vera Brosgol (Caldecott Honor Book) | ||
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| What is your version of a silent, matte black wormhole? |
An overloaded grandmother goes to increasingly wacky lengths to escape the chaos of her family. The depths of the forest, the tippy top of the mountain and even the dark side of the moon turn out to have distractions of their own and eventually she ends up stepping into a wormhole in order to find peace and quiet. As we go through the next few weeks of Creating while Caregiving together, it is worth considering: what is your wormhole?
Drawn Together by Minh Lê and Dan Santat
The inherent intergenerational awkwardness of a grandparent as an afterschool caretaker is compounded by cultural differences manifest in everything from what to eat, watch and what language to speak. I love that this book recognizes how hard it can be for everyone in a caretaking situation to find their own form of self expression and common ground, from the child, to the grandparent, to the mother, whose joy and relief at the end of the book is palpable.
Anyone who has left a play date or a senior center and thought “yes, this is going to work!” can relate to the mother´s joy.
No More Señora Mimi by Meg Medina and Brittany Cicchese
In-home childcare is a delicate balance for all involved; is there any business relationship that requires more trust? Ideally, the bond between child and nanny is a strong and loving one, the only downside of which is the heartbreak that occurs when childcare needs change. This book showcases a loving transition between caretakers. from a beloved neighbor to an equally beloved grandmother.
The Worst Teddy Ever by Marcelo Verdad
Noa wishes his beloved stuffed teddy bear had energy to play like his friends’ stuffies! Readers soon discover the reason Teddy is always tired: unbeknownst to his human friend, this stuffy works the night shift, shooing away would-be visitors, in order to ensure Noa gets a good night’s sleep.
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| One day you're young and the next, you're tired like Teddy. |
We have all been Teddy at some point.
The Wild Washer Women by John Yeoman and Quentin Blake
A group of overworked and underpaid washerwomen hit their breaking point and rage against the machine/their boss. My own aunts and mother hand-washed clothing in the creek well into their teenage years, so this book also served as an exercise in perspective during hard moments. At the very least, my pile of laundry can be washed by a machine!
Are there books that make you feel seen as a caregiver? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!Until next week,
bye, adios, chau-chowdy!
Próximamente este artículo estará disponible en español en La Cometa.
Romy Natalia Goldberg is a Paraguayan-American author with a love for stories about culture and communication. Her debut picture book, THE GOODNIGHT SHIFT, is an ode to the people, especially caregivers, who help keep our communities running at night. Illustrated by Isabel Roxas, it will be published by Scholastic/Orchard Press in April, 2027 with a forthcoming Spanish translation. To learn more and shout out night shift heroes in your life, visit www.romynatalia.com/the-good-night-shift
