A Stay at Home Mum - Are you Nuts?
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
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"So what do you work as?'
"Oh, nothing as such, I'm a Stay at Home Mum..."
...
This statement is usually met one of two ways.
It is either, "Oh thats brilliant" and a myriad of positive affirmations and well wishes.
OR
It is "Are you nuts?" or something to that effect, followed up with well meaning advice about how I would be better getting a job.
...
Now, while I obviously favour response numero uno, I am also fully understanding of response two...I just don't like it as much.
You see, for us as a family, we have chosen for me to stay at home.
It is a privilege that we don't need me to go to work.
I mean, I could, but that would just be to pay someone else to look after my children.
My husband works so flipping hard and does so that I am able to be at home.
Saying to me "What you really need is a job..." doesn't offend me but it does make me feel like what I do isn't valued at times, it shows me that maybe people don't understand our situation and at times I do get the feeling that maybe I'm not doing a good enough job and someone could do it better. I think all of those things myself without needing other people to say/think it too!
...
I used to sort of panic when people asked me what I do because I didn't know how they would react. I would give a full blown explanation about how I was a teacher and I subbed for years before taking a job as a classroom assistant in a school that I really loved...blah blah blah.
Why did I do that? I have no idea really. Maybe I cared too much about what people thought? Maybe I was embarrassed to say 'Oh, I'm just at home with the boys.'
...
Is it easy being at home? Eh, No!
Do I regularly search through job sites? Eh, you bet ya I do!
Do I need a break sometimes? Doesn't everybody?
Am I not bored at home? Don't really have time to be!
...
Somedays I would love to hand these two boys over to someone else and allow them to deal with all the tantrums, and tears, and fall outs, and screaming...oh believe me, somedays I dream of it!
However, for now, in this season, this is where I am meant to be. And thats exactly what this is, a season, a season that will soon be past. One day, both these boys will be at school and I will enter into another season, but for now, I am going to cherish these days. I might complain too much about a certain toddler, I might look worse for wear most days, I maybe DO need a break but these two boys have given me more than any job EVER could!
...
Freddie made me a Mum
Alex has strengthened me as a Mum
I have never been the same
I will never be the same
I wouldn't want it any other way
I'm not ashamed to say it now...
What do I do?
I'm a Stay at Home Mum
And I'm proud of it!
