A Stay at Home Mum - Are you Nuts?

"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!