What I Want My Children to Know about Being a SAHM

I saw an article about a stay at home mom who spoke at her child's career day at school.Good for her! But she received a lot of credit for making her choice to stay home into a "legitimate career". I've always thought that was a little silly. Why do we automatically make the assumption that stay at home moms have a valuable "career".  There are comparisons to how much salary they would make if they got paid for their "job."

We as stay at home moms are supposed to be "experts" on activities such as nursing, cooking, driving, laundry, etc. Well guess what? Just because I choose to be home with my children has not made me an expert in anything. I actually outsource most of these jobs. I PAY PROFESSIONALS to cook (Taco Bell), clean (housekeeper), drive (school buses), doctors, dentists, TEACHERS, hairdressers, etc! I stayed home before I even had children. Was I a SAHM? No-but I didn't have a "career" either. And I still had worth and value!  I can tell elementary school kids how I spend my days, but I think most of them will be bored and definitely disgusted and maybe even scarred for life...

I'm asked every day "How do you do it?". I don't really have an answer to that question. Is it because I have to? Yes. Is it because I choose to?Yes. Is it because even if it's hard I know it is the most important hard on earth?Yes. But even all of that doesn't cover it...when I come up with a good answer I'll let you know!

I had a moment a few weeks ago while on our road trip that was surreal. I finally realized that I was THE mother of this family. That I wasn't pretending. That I was actually molding and shaping these children and not just "babysitting." I know it seems pretty silly that after 7 years that I am just realizing this. 

I was thinking about all of the road trips I took as a kid and how I have shifted from being the one to ride in the middle seat of the station wagon The Babysitter's Club to the one who had packed the sack lunches and entertainment bags and passed out the Twizzlers.  It was a quiet moment of big kids reading and little kids sleeping. (Not to be confused with the MAJOR in front of the whole school meltdown we had today).  

I wasn't just along for the ride. I created the ride. I co-created the children. And the flow of the ride. Many times I have heard from friends and family that, "you guys do so much! and go on so many trips!"  Well, we do that deliberately. That's what WE choose to do. Every class and dinner out and church activity and trip is how we have decided to raise our children. It is NOT a career. Or a job. It is a LIFE.

Decisions about finances, jobs, careers and parenthood are IMPORTANT. And upon my children making these important decisions, I want them to listen to the only real EXPERT there is.