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Pursuing simplicity in work, home, community, and self

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motherhood

Growing Up, Changing My Mind, and More Money Matters

December 3, 2018 //  by PracticeBalance//  Leave a Comment

Our daughter just turned 3 years old last week, and life with her can only be described as an amazing journey. It seems like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital on Thanksgiving weekend in a snowstorm. Yet, it feels like she’s been with us forever. How is that dichotomy possible?

3 going on 13
(the sippy gives it away, I suppose)

For so long, we craved the feelings of simplicity and freedom so much that we weren’t sure we wanted to have children at all. Sometimes I wake up at 4 or 5 AM to a loud but high-pitched voice yelling, “Mama! Mama! I wanna get up!”, followed by hectic mini scenes of eating, cleaning, bathroom, playing, cleaning, etc… and I try to remember what it was like to have a quiet morning of slowly sipping coffee and reading articles in silence on the couch next to my hubby.

At some point, the idea of “complicating” our lives for the sake of a unique family relationship and a type of love we’d never experienced before became something we wanted so badly. We knew lots of couples who had kids, both young and old, in addition to lots of couples who chose to keep their families at the count of two. I think deciding to have a kid, and correspondingly when to do it, is something that can’t just be argued logically. Even though we had talked about it off and on for years, the desire finally just… came. 

I never really thought of myself as being very motherly. Yet now, it’s my most important identity. More important to me than being a doctor or a climber (two identities that are very often tied strongly to ego). She’s changed the way I think about work, about money, about education… and I’m sure she’ll be the driving force behind many more things that I change my mind on. In addition to my new interview series, I’m going to be starting a series of posts on things I was “wrong” about. These are not necessarily all related to parenting; watch for them to come on this blog in the future!

Today I’d like to share a guest post I wrote for my friend Miss Bonnie MD’s awesome site, which aims to empower women (particularly women physicians) to take control of their finances and find financial freedom. She’s a dermatologist with a previous career in finance who also woke up to the ideas of simplicity, balance and financial independence when she had her son (who just turned one). In the post, I talk about wanting to teach our daughter the ways of financial responsibility and value-ism. Check out the post here!

Here’s an excerpt from the first paragraph: 
The other day, my 2 year old daughter asked, “Who gave us this house?” We both paused and looked at each other. “Um… No one. We bought it with our own money that we made ourselves.” This is the first time we had talked to her about anything related to money, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

When and how did you decide to have children (or not have them)? How have they changed you if you do have kids?

Category: Community, HomeTag: community, financial responsibility, guest post, home, money, money matters, motherhood, parenting, simplicity

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PracticeBalance

Dawn L. Baker MD, MS is the founder of PracticeBalance.com. She became interested in the topics of stress management and wellness when she experienced her own health challenges during residency training. Dawn is dedicated to discussing current issues in self-care and simplicity in the four realms of life balance: work, home, community, and self. Her writing has been featured in national syndicates such as KevinMD and Medpage Today, and she is also a regular contributor to the Mothers in Medicine blog. Dawn is a proud wife and mother to one daughter and one whippet dog. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling, rock climbing, strength and conditioning exercise, attempts at practicing yoga, and long walks with her family.

PB on Instagram

“Next time you write off doing something that seems exclusionary or expensive on the surface, take a closer look and you may be surprised at how much value that expense can provide.”
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Today’s #practicebalance #blogpost has us spending almost $300/mo on a gym membership at @lifetimevegas. The idea came from listening to a podcast with @fatfueledmom, who loves the kids’ activities at their Life Time gym. Does it seem worth the $$? Read (link below or in profile) to decide.
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https://practicebalance.com/2019/02/valueist-staycation-a-gym-membership-or-spa-getaway/
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#newblogpostup #notsponsored #somedocs #valueist #moneymatters #frugaldoc #attendinglife #doctorsofinstagram #toddlermomlife #womeninmedicine #doctormom #vacationspots #staycations #parttimedoctor #fulltimemommy #fitdoc #fitdoctorsofinsta
This is me in Thailand looking for cool shells to make into jewelry. Yes, doctors make jewelry, and yes, doctors wear bikinis. We’re human just like our patients, and the only way we’re going to #beatburnout in medicine is to normalize our human-ness, to thus change the culture and the #hiddencurriculum. Thanks to @drcorriel for starting the #docsbeatburnout challenge. @amyn.cowan, I’m sure you have some things and pics to share about this, so I’m tagging you!
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#practicebalance #SoMeDocs #attendinglife #residentlife #medstudentlife #doctormom #mothersinmedicine #womeninmedicine #ladyboss #medstagram #doctorsofinstagram
@tbdslc will be embarrassed by me posting this, but it’s #valentinesday2019. I mean, I got the whole package here: brains & beauty & an awesome father. I’m so lucky he showed up in my freshman engineering class ♥️⚡️😻
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#partnerforlife #thoseabstho #nofilter #nophotoshop #iloveyou #daughterdaddy #toddlermomlife #shello #soluckytohaveyou #vday2019 #bemyvalentine❤️
“Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” - 🖌Robert Frost
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Life has lots of different paths 🛤 #practicebalance #roadlesstraveled #labyrinth #growingaspen #freerangeparenting #freerangekid #alwayslearn
Are you always trying to reach new heights? How about the height of perfection?
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Today #ontheblog I give my take on self-love and chasing perfection (hint: don’t do it!)... #linkinprofile👆and below:
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https://practicebalance.com/2019/02/be-your-own-valentine/
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#practicebalance #newblogpostalert #selflove #selfimprovement #perfectionism #womenbloggers #womeninmedicine #somedocs #doctormom
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Image credit: stylized AZ sunset by Jim Lowman (my dad)
Getting stronger 💪🏼
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#growingaspen #thatsmygirl #functionalfitness #letthemplay #letthemclimb #outdoorplay #getoutsidemore #climbingtraining #parkplay #toddlermomlife
View of #wasatchmountains sunrise out the airplane window. Headed back to the desert today ❄️🗻➡️☀️🏜
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#parttimedoctor #doctormom #twohomes #homeiswherethe♥️is #blessed🙏🏼
Treacherous conditions today. I had to shovel a foot of snow at 5 am, while it was snowing sideways on me, which then just reaccumulated quickly. Everything is closed... except the hospital of course.
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#thehospitalnevercloses #therewillalwaysbepatients #weareallpatients #attendinglife #residentlife #medstudentlife #doctorlife #womeninmedicine #doctormom #somedocs #anesthesiologist #cantcallinsick #snowsquall #lakeeffect #mountainlife #wintersuckssometimes
Read more from this inspiring woman @frugalphysician on my blog today! #linkinprofile👆or below
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https://practicebalance.com/2019/02/a-balanced-interview-3-the-frugal-physician/
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#practicebalance #newontheblog #womenphysicians #worklifebalance #womenbloggers #doctorblogger #bloginterview #doctormom #womeninmedicine #frugalista #moneymatters #financialfreedom #financialindependence #financialblogger
She’s #mywhy❤️... the reason I #practicebalance, the reason I exercise #selfcare. Even though I had my brush with #burnout and being a patient, she changed the denominator. I’ve simplified my roles in medicine even more. 🌹
Everyone’s balance is different. For me, #resilienceinmedicine means choosing to work part time, have less stuff and less notoriety but more time with her. Thanks to @reflectionsofamillennialdoctor for tagging me! And happy #nationalwomenphysiciansday!
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#nwpd #whatsyourbalance #workhomecommunityself #womeninmedicine #doctormom #parttimedoctor #fulltimemom

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