Amanda Lamb: Little fires

Parenting teaches us so many things—flexibility, time management and problem-solving. And while in the midst of chaos, it may not feel like a teachable moment, these daily tests help to inform everything else we do in life.

To date, I have been parenting for 19 years. Like an air traffic controller, I am able to handle multiple crises with a measured and focused demeanor while I am in the middle of other things. Often, my children call me or text me while I am getting ready to go on the air or I am in the middle of a report. I try to always make time for them and remind myself that while their problems don’t seem like a crisis to me, it may be a crisis to them.

A few weeks ago, while my mother-in-law was in hospice, and my husband was understandably pre-occupied, I was navigating several crises with my children by phone as I drove from a grueling work trip out of town.

Amanda Lamb: Rising up from the ashes

My oldest daughter was driving home from college in order to visit her grandmother when the battery in her car died. We soon found out from the AAA driver who responded that she needed her alternator replaced. She was very upset about the delay, and I was concerned about her safety on the road. After multiple calls, I made the executive decision to fix it even though I knew the price was probably a little inflated. Problem solved. She got home in time to see her grandmother.

On the same day, my younger daughter had a phone that suddenly stopped working after yet another broken screen fiasco. We long ago got rid of our home phone, so her cell phone is her only connection to us when she gets home from school and we are still at work. As soon as I returned from my trip, I zipped into the Verizon store. We determined the phone was not fixable—not even by the guy at the mall who replaces screens. So, I quickly got on my phone and filed an insurance claim and had a new phone delivered the next day.

Amanda Lamb: Newfound fandom

Then I headed to the hospice to facility meet my husband. As parents, we put out little fires all day long. It’s a skill we perfect the more years we do it.

Whether you work outside the home or not, I would say mothers are the most adept multitaskers I know. They calmly juggle many issues at once with an aplomb that rivals that of top CEOs. It’s a shame we can’t put parenting on our resumes.

But we all know that we are only as good as the next crisis we solve. As parents, we cannot rest on our laurels. I’m pretty sure a “crisis text” is just around the corner. And ready or not, I will handle it and try not to get burned in the fire ...