motivated.
Women, the old prejudice held, would become unreliable once children arrived. Motherhood would bring distractions and increased sick days

on account of small, runny noses at home.
My own experience has been mixed. In my early days of motherhood, I concluded that each sleep interruption meant a loss of 10 points from

my IQ the next day. And small, runny noses, fevers and upset tummies did indeed take a toll on my work attendance.
At the same time, I began to discover professional advantages to being a parent. For example, I had a whole new way to connect with other

parents and with children.
When preparing children’s sermons for the various churches where I preached, I could tune in to preschoolers’ joys, questions and fears in

a new way. As a hospital chaplain, I better understood the anguish of dying parents who were leaving young children behind.
But you don’t have to be working directly with children or parents to get a professional edge from parenting.
Good parenting helps you zero in on what’s truly important. You become more skilled at setting priorities.

big, beautiful eyes, the little lashes, the soft fur just behind the ears they almost beg to be spoiled. But what can you really do? There

are all of those new doggie day spas, doggie day cares, and other doggie luxury services, but how often can you really afford things like

that? I mean, most people rarely have enough cash in the bank to get themselves a surprise manicure and pedicure, much less spring for

their pups to get a quadripedicure. You give her a few scratches behind the ears, rub her belly, and maybe give her a massage and splurge

on some gourmet treats, but you have to pay rent and eat each month. Your budget just doesn’t allow for constant spoiling of your dog.