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Motherhood
The Invisible Profession By Mindy Greenstein, Ph.D.
arms dealer (a 3-year-old named Sam, who's never without a weapon, whether it's a plastic sword, rifle or even a crossbow) introduces your previously gun-free child to the joys of pretend bloodshed. 
Of course, these decisions aren't really mundane at all. They involve a child's developing moral compass, his or her future ability to gauge dangerous situations, manage social conflicts, vote on gun control laws, perhaps write those laws. They require thoughtfulness, even when making split-second decisions, a keen ability for multitasking and flexibility.
The consequences of these decisions will reverberate for years to come, in the decisions our children will make as they take their places in the world. Quietly, in the background, is our most important job instilling in our kids the confidence that comes from knowing that they're someone special in the world and the humility that comes from knowing that so is everyone else. If we do only that, we will have made an enormous contribution to the community at large, no matter what our other work-related contributions are and no matter what it says on mothers' tax returns.
Compounding the built-in stress is the fact that the quiet accomplishments, and delights, of motherhood are invisible to the world around us, both for women who stay at home and those who work outside. And yet, we also know a secret, the secret of tomorrow. We know that these amazing creatures who at first seem little more than eating, sleeping and excreting machines, will one day be our surgeons, inventors, therapists, biologists and leaders and the people who will raise our grandchildren. There is a famous saying that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, let us not forget that it takes a child, our children, to keep that village alive.