Hey Guys,
Is it just me, or do stay at home moms have a bad connotation behind it? People believe we are lazy, we watch tv all day and do nothing. My dad even thought i sit on the couch all day.
I don't know why we don't get more credit for what we do.
Being a stay at home mother was the best choice i ever made. My mom worked when i was baby ( i was to small to remember) then she made the decision to stay at home full time. My brother and i are 5 years apart, so it was just me and her at home. Looking back i loved coming home after school and having my mom there. She always had a snack ready, and her life was dedicated to her children. She knew my friends, and what i was doing (for the most part) in school etc. I am not saying if you work you wont be all of these things, its just different when you stay at home. I want kayden to have the same experience i did.
Prior to being pregnant i worked with working mothers, and they struggled a lot with balancing home and work. They were working to pay for before and after school programs, missing out on their child(ren) lives and always getting looked down for not staying late or having to rush out.
I always sympathized with him because it must have been hard to figure out what was less important that day. Sometimes it meant getting pulled into the boss office the next day.
I didn't want to have that struggle. Curtis and i don't have family we can count on. At the end of the day if we are running late or had to stay late we don't have anyone else who can help with kayden.
I don't ever regret the decision to stay at home with kayden. I will be honest with you, i did have moments where i questioned if i was doing enough. I felt guilty for not being able to bring an income in the house, i felt as though i was holding the family back. If i worked, would my family be further in life? Thank goodness for Curtis. He reassured me that this was the best decision for kayden right now, and if i continued to feel this way in the future, i can always explore getting back into the workforce.
Being a stay at home mom requires me to wear many hats. I am a nurse, caregiver, teacher, life coach etc. I will never say i have had an easy day, because a little one keeps you on your toes. I remember when kayden was a baby, and he would never nap in the daytime, i spent an hour walking back and forth just to have him nap for 10 minutes. I dealt with endless crying while trying to figure out how im going to get the laundry folded.
Kayden has a lot of energy, he is go go go until nap time (even then he will attempt to convince you he isn't tired) which means i always need to have him occupied. I need to have an endless list of activities, and i have said this a billion times, when you live in an apartment, if you leave you have to commit. I cant just open the door and have kayden run in the yard. I need to haul his bike downstairs and have him outside for a significant amount of time.
As time has passed i have embraced my role as a stay at home mom. I may not do my hair and makeup every morning, and wear nice clothes but i am doing something which fulfills me. Im there when my son wakes up and goes to bed. I work hard to ensure kayden is well behaved and stays on track with the children in daycare. I don't get any off days, there were times when i was extremely sick but i still had to look after kayden.
From the time kayden wakes up and takes a nap or goes to bed, i try to fill his day up. It is the most tiring and rewarding job. I know this life isn't for everyone, and there are plenty of mothers who envy me. Even though i may not receive a paycheck or get bonuses every year, i will always believe my job makes a difference.
My day starts at 6am every morning. Kayden runs in the bedroom, wakes me up and demands we make room for him in the bed. I wish i could say he goes back to bed, instead the list of demands begin. He's hungry, cold, he cant find his stuffed dog etc. Everything is life ending in the morning. I try to stay in bed till 6:30am but that doesn't always work. Half awake i start my morning. I buy some time with kayden and tell him to give me a few minutes. I brush my teeth and use the bathroom. I then pray the coffee machine has gone off, so i don't have to wait 10 minutes for a cup. Curtis gets up, and i pack his lunch and he's gone by 7am. Kayden has had his breakfast by now (after changing his mind 5 times). I clean up breakfast, play with kayden for 30 minutes before he demands another snack. It takes him about 10 minutes to pick out a snack. He never wants what is in the cupboard. After he eats i get him ready to spend about an hour outside.
I hate to say it, but im still not half way through my day. I live for lunchtime because that means nap time is knocking on my door.
Whether you are a working parent or you are at home, it is a personal decision. Both choices require sacrifice and sometimes never feel like you picked the right one. We are all in this struggle together of balancing raising kids, having alone time and feeling self fulfilled.
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