I ALWAYS find myself stumped for an answer. I take care of my kids. I feed them, bath them, get them down for naps, play with them, and teach them. I pay the bills, clean the house (well in an ideal world), take care of our 3 dogs. Blah, blah, blah.
I just never feel like they want to hear the list of my daily chores. So instead my answer is usually a version of this, "Hmm, nothing much, I guess the kids just kept us busy."
I feel my answers diminish the reality of what it is to be a SAHM, but I don't know a better way to answer the question without listing out mundane tasks.
The reality is that I keep busy. Staying at home is a job. It takes effort, hard work, planning, and patience. So while I know what I do each day and how busy it actually keeps me, I still don't know a good answer to those questions.
How do you answer those questions?
4 comments:
This is such a great post. After something that happened to me over the weekend, I've been meaning to sit down and write one similar. Maybe tonight. The husband and I were walking through the neighborhood over the weekend and bumped into a Mommy pushing a stroller with a similar size toddler tucked inside. We got to talking, she's a bit older than me (5 years), loves to run, loves to bake.. So far, a match made in heaven. Well, she asked "what do I do" and when I replied "Im a stay at home mom" she goes "wait, so you mean you don't work at all? that's the life!"... And i wanted to say.. but I do work?! My days are filled with laundry and cleaning and errand-running and teaching and singing and playing and loving and running and tears and laughs and frustration... and it's WORK TOO.. but I didn't.. because.. somehow, she made it seem less important. and not like an actual "job." Interesting, huh? Love this post.. thanks :) hope you had a great weekend!
We do tons, and I love it! I think the absolute best thing about being a homemaker (I've found myself liking this term better than SAHM) is being about to devote nights and weekends to family/relaxation. I don't have to worry about catching up on laundry/housework, getting ready for the week all on Sunday night. If I worked outside the home I would be very stressed trying to find time for everything.
Taking care of kids is work. That is how I answer that question. If you want your kids to be raised by you and not the world and to teach them good values, then that is your job, given to you and blessed by God. So don't sweat it. I believe being a wife and mom was the most important job God designed.
I usually look at them and tell them that I work harder as a stay at home mom than I ever did when I worked a nine to five job. When you're a stay at home mom the work never ends. That's not true with other jobs. When the clock hits quittin' time you clock out and go home. My work never ends, but then again, in a few short years when they are all gone...then will be the time to get bored I guess!! Sometimes when you say this you the look like "yeah right!" and then I do give them the laundry list: breakfast, clean up, bathes, dress kids, make beds, start laundry, clean house, play with kids, make lunch, clean up, play with kids or read, clean house more, change laundry, nap time, pay bills, make phone calls, run errands, play with kids, make dinner, clean up, play with kids, bedtime routine, spend time with husband, blog, wow! I'm tired just typing that! (and they usually get the point by the end! LOL)
Post a Comment