The Default Parent Resume

Resumes are kind of my thing. My entire career has been evaluating applicants on their professional experience, but lately it occurs to me that huge chunks of skills and talents are missing for parents who also identify as the Default Parent….you know, the ones responsible for the daily logistical and emotional needs of the children. Sure my professional experience is impressive, but what’s really awe-inspiring is that for the past 15+ years I also rocked it as the Default Parent…a job I never applied for and didn’t even know I had been doing until about year ago.

Whether you stay home completely, work full-time, or barely balance something in between, The Default Parent is such a comprehensive and significant position I decided it could not be summed up in one small blurb of a resume, but rather needed its own addendum. Here it is…with a healthy dose of sarcasm and a refreshing amount of honesty. I’d hire me on this resume alone.

M. BLAZONED
The Default Parent
Resume Addendum

143 Quiet Life of Desperation Lane · The Bubble, Suburbia 90210 · (555) 867-5309
www.mblazoned.com · www.facebook.com/mblazoned · @mblazoned

OBJECTIVE
To raise self-reliant, confident human beings who are goofy, fun, loving, and kind, and are interesting enough not to be boring, but not so “interesting” they live in my basement forever.

SUMMARY

Recruitment professional with 23 years, while simultaneously managing varied responsibilities of being the Default Parent for 15+ years. Highlights include: keeping three children alive and a husband still interested enough not to start secret other family in neighboring town (that I know of)
Work closely and effectively with life partner to understand nuances of children’s personalities in order to meet their complex and varied needs. (I’m kidding. I’m just trying to minimize meltdowns and stay sane. I also hide a lot.)
Dynamic speaker and lecturer, specializing in life lessons
Barely holding on to fraying shred of own identity

CORE COMPETENCIES

Carpool logistics
Filling out forms
Moving stacks of papers from one place to another
Letting dog and in out while on work calls
Pretending to follow stories my kids tell me with appropriate facial expressions
Buying and returning things
Purchasing and wrapping birthday party presents
Researching and scheduling summer camps
Drinking wine
Crying in closet

EXPERIENCE AND SUPER COOL TALENTS

LOGISTICS

Manage highly complex logistics of 50+ drop-offs and pick-ups per week using carpooling and guile
Regularly defy time and space by being at three different child events at same time
Statistically insignificant child forgetting incidents
- But it is always the middle child and she’ll never let me forget it
Trained bladder to rarely need to pee

ORGANIZATION & PLANNING

Schedule hundreds of events per year for five humans using color-coded, complex calendar system called, “This is Not Humanly Possible.” Patent pending.
Originate and execute all paperwork including: endless school form, summer camp sign-ups, health forms, and daily bullshit brought home from schools in evil plastic folders
Manage influx of mail
- Categorizing as: File, Pay, Recycle, Shoot Me Now, and WTF Is This?

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Expert in resolving conflicts including, but not limited to:
- Sibling brawls about borrowing stuff, “It’s not fair” whining, and board game drama
Excellent results in non-violent approaches using empty threats
Use the “sounds like you both got what you deserved” method of sorting out who started it
Once followed through on a punishment and lived through a child not allowed to use data on her iPhone for a month. No longer afraid of hell.
Strategically use Netflix as both reward and punishment with solid results in behavior modification

COMMUNICATIONS

Multi-tasker who can easily be congenial on a work call while angrily mouthing instructions/threats to children
Excellent at picking battles. Also, exhausted, which helps.
Deliver compelling, loving, and comforting pep talks to kids when down about sports, school and relationships. Put on brave front while crying silently on the inside for them.
Compromise Maven: Married to same man for 21+ years

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Successfully taught walking, talking, potty skills, and basic and advanced human manners
- Teared up when children said “thank you” unprompted for the first time
Achieved goal of having kids be likable enough that other people will have them over
Taught kids to tell interesting stories by making them retell boring ones in 5 sentences or less. You’re welcome, world.

NON-DEFAULTING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Recruitment Consulting, Founder and Principal (only person, really), 2008 – Present
Major Media Company in NYC, Recruitment, 1998 – 2008
MBA and Undergraduate Universities, Admissions, 1993 – 1998

EDUCATION
Bachelor’s Degree, Cum Laude, Pre-Email Times
• Uncertain if Bachelor’s degrees are still valid
• English Major: Because that’s super helpful. Also, surprising, since I can’t spell
or follow simple grammar rules

AWARDS, SPEAKING, WRITING

AWARDS

World’s Greatest Mom, Mother’s Day, 15 years running
Macaroni Necklace Award, Three-time recipient

SPEAKING
Lecturer
Topics Include:

You Don’t Know How Good You Have It
Life is a Series of Choices
And my personal favorite, I’m Not Just Your Mom, I’m a Human Being with Feelings.

Ongoing Mini-Lecture Series called, “Are You F*cking Serious?”
Topics Include:

You Call Your Bedroom Clean?
If You Leave One More Paper Towel Crumpled Up on the Counter, I Swear to God…(also see upcoming Empty Threat Series)
No one Should Be Licking Anyone, and Other Things I Can’t Believe I Have to Say

WRITING
Blogger

Published on Huffington Post, around the world:
www.huffingtonpost.com/m-blazoned
Made zero point zero dollars, altruistic talent sharing is the new business savvy?!?!

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Amazon Prime, Member – Possibly single-handedly funding UPS pension plan
Costco, Gold Star Member – Once got a really good parking spot, considered never leaving
Drinking Wine with Friends, Board of Directors – Attend monthly meetings
Sideline Parent, Vocal Member
• Offer clever responses to all game situations
• Yell “box out” at appropriate times (I think)
• “Defense” shouting directly responsible for many ball turn overs

LANGUAGES, SKILLS, INTERESTS

Languages: Proficient in Toddler and The Annoying Bad Joke Telling Elementary Years; Fluent in Tween and Teen; Speak some/limited Husband.

Special Skills: Lamenting lost youth. Draping dirty clothes on bathroom chair. Losing earrings. Drinking iced tea. Singing passionately in the car by myself. Putting on mascara without a mirror. Reading Dr. Seuss’ Sleep Book in record time, nailing all rhymes. Talking to myself in public.

Interests: Sensory depravation tanks. Finishing sentences. Never hearing another goddamn Disney or Nickelodeon commercial again. Being friends with Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, and Amy Schumer. Cellulite removal. Giving zero fucks.

References Available Upon Children Being Bribed

6 Comments

Ann OBrien says:

February 15, 2016 at 5:55 pm

Meredith –
This was HILARIOUS. I’m soooo sorry our paths in Ridgefield didn’t actually cross. I think you left here about a month or two after I arrived and so many people have told me I would have loved hanging out with you. This “resume” confirms for me how right Michele W’s and the other were. I was seriously laughing out loud and crying out of frustration while reading it … particularly after having “mouthed [fairly serious] threats” at my children today while on a conference call with a part-time gig I’m really not sure will ever lead me back to full-time work. All on a lovely school holiday for my kids.

Thank you for writing and call me for a drink if you’re ever back in Ridgefield!
Ann O’Brien

PS Keep yelling “box out” — it definitely makes you look more knowledgeable, whether at a basketball game or in a board room!

Mitch Gordon says:

February 15, 2016 at 7:33 pm

M –

I have decided that marrying you IS the best option. The qualities that I see that immediately captured my adoration are: You wrote this amazing blog post, you have a kitchen, you wear a Red Sox baseball cap (and that is significant) you wear fuzzy socks, (did I say that you have a kitchen?), and apparently you are near the water! All 10s on my list (and you have a kitchen). Kitchens are important, I love to cook, and although grilling is also a skill of mine, kitchen cooking is right up there. I have two sons – both pretty big now – still teens though –

I apparently have many of the similar skills… At this point the higher level skills I am perfecting include, “Dad You are Embarrassing Me,” “No You Can’t Meet Her Parents Before We go to the Movies” (see embarrassing), “Please pick me up at the Bus Stop, but park a block away” (Again – embarrassing), and my favorite, “I missed the bus, drive me to school, but don’t wait for me to go in” (yup embarrassing again) …

My question is, why did it take me two years to find you?

I too am an M – together we could melt in the mouth and not in the hands!

Peace

Heidi Bledsoe says:

February 15, 2016 at 10:49 pm

Love your sense of humor and how your stories resonate with a majority of moms. Wish we lived closer and could sip wine while swapping some colorful tales.

Liz Ritter says:

February 16, 2016 at 9:34 am

You made me laugh out loud several times, MT. Hilarious…and too true. Went to call you at 867-5309, but your box was full. 😉 And now I have that dang song in my head. Thanks for starting my day off right!

Erica says:

February 16, 2016 at 2:10 pm

As a former HR person and as a mom – this is positively brilliant. Absolutely hilarious!

Bonnie says:

February 25, 2016 at 5:44 pm

You are HILARIOUS and brilliant! Such a fun read. Keep us smiling!!!

The Default Parent Resume

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