I often wish people would understand how it is to be a stay at home mom. A true Stay-At-Home Mom. True meaning, No car to go anywhere unless your husband/family/friend takes you.
Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE being a Stay-At-Home Mom, just sometimes it can become a lot.
Most of the time I feel lonely/isolated. I guess living out in the sticks can do that. I talk/text a lot, probably more than I should, because usually it is the only outside communications I get. My job never ends, I don’t have a punch out clock. I am on-call all through the night.
Staying at home gives me a sense of freedom in my role as a Mom, Wife, or even a Friend. I can choose the times to interact with people, but it would have to be by phone, or Facebook. We only have 1 car, so it can get pretty stressful when people don’t understand why you can’t just go and see them.
On the weekends you try to pull in so much adult interaction from your husband, you tend to lose the last time you actually spent time with your friends.
The most rewarding thing about being a Stay-At-Home Mom is to see how much you can effect your child’s life. I love being Jade’s caretaker and her lightning up telling people what she has learned. It just makes my heart warm, and lights up my world. I get to mold her, and watch her grow into such an amazing, sweet little girl.
Sometimes, my Husband doesn’t even understand the magnitude of being a Stay-At-Home Mom (24/7). He often says, “Oh yeah, I leave home to go to work.” I don’t think he knows how much that hurts me when he says those words. When he says something like that all I do is sigh and say “You will never understand.”
I don’t want to get a job outside of the house, not because I’m Lazy, but because I love being home, BUT there is so much home a person can do. So much cleaning, stepping on toys, yelling, teaching, trying to understand a child, loneliness, isolated one can get.
I don’t have a car to go pay the bills, get groceries, take Jade to the park, meet a friend for lunch, go to the movies, or library… I have to do all these things when my husband is home on the weekends and those are the days I want to spend with him, those are the days I want to be stress-free, relax kind of days. I only spend 2 hours a day with him (Mon-Friday) when he works and goes to school. Why can’t people understand that? I’m not blowing them off. I just don’t have an open calendar to do what I want.
Being a Stay-At-Home Mom is not easy, but in the long run it is worth it. I just tell myself, “Time and Patience”.
We're Jumpin' 
Debbie
/ May 30, 2012This is coming from a grandmother–as you get older there will be lots of things that you will wish you had done or said differently–one of them will NEVER be staying at home with your children to ensure they get the best love and care.
I am sending you a link to my daughter’s blog to encourage you. She stays home with 3 boys and life gets incredibly crazy, but the Lord gives her strength and wisdom for each day. So glad that you have committed to giving your child the best gift a mom can give-YOU!
http://www.gassidboys.blogspot.com.
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We're Jumpin'
/ May 30, 2012Thank you so much Debbie! I will definitely stop by your daughters blog. Thank you for suggesting and your inspiring words. 🙂
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lovelylici1986
/ May 10, 2012Managing a home and family is serious business! It’s hard to understand when you’re not the one doing it.
I think you should let your friends/family know that the onus is on them to arrange a ride for you when they want to hang out. You’re not superwoman, so you can’t fly yourself to a cafe to meet them for coffee. If they want to badly enough, they will come and get you, or hang at your house with you. Don’t take that on as a burden.
I heard on the radio the other day that a (salary) study (I think it was in 2010) showed that stay-at-home-moms would earn $134,000/year if they were paid for all the work they do. Crazy, right? I bet most people have no idea what your value is. Maybe you need to let them know!
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We're Jumpin'
/ May 10, 2012So true! However, I don’t manage the bills, but I do everything else. I read a store once where the husband came home, the door was wide open, toys and everything was all in the yard. He came inside to water running down the stairs, toys and furniture all over the place, he walked upstairs to find his wife in the bed reading a book, and he said “What did you do today?” She said “I took a day off”
I’ll never forget that. Thank you Lici ❤
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Just Rambling
/ May 10, 2012Pretty sure it is worth it. Also, pretty sure you are a very cool stay at home mom. Kudos!
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We're Jumpin'
/ May 10, 2012Thanks so much girly!
I guess sometimes I have bad days, or bad times. Sometimes I want to hit my hubby on the head rofl
If only I could borrow your bike 😛 not to hit hubby with it, but then I could ride away or ride in circles in the yard, either or
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tintin
/ May 10, 2012two thumbs up for you…
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We're Jumpin'
/ May 10, 2012Thank you
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The Shepherdess
/ May 10, 2012Motherhood really is the most important job in the world – nothing else even comes close in my opinion. Being home with little kids (especially with no car!) is challenging, for sure, but they will only be little once. In my bad moments I always remind myself they are only 1 or 2 or whatever for a year – that’s it! And rather than thinking that some days are ‘bad days’ I now try to think of it as ‘bad moments’. Helps me stay sane! They are lucky to have you there, and you are lucky to be there!
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We're Jumpin'
/ May 10, 2012Thank you so much Shepherdess. I remind myself that their bad times will pass with patience, but I am sure Jade gets frustrated, just as much as I do. When we do leave the house, she loves it and once we start heading back home she says “We’re going home? OH, Noooo”
I guess the hardest thing is my Husband not understanding at all.
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The Warming House
/ May 10, 2012My friend – you have the most important job in the world – more important than the highest paid CEO or even the President of the United States. Through your child you are shaping a precious little life as well as the future of our world – the world she will one day impact by the kind of person she has developed into. It is isolating and it’s easy to lose your identity. But press on. You have chosen a good path.
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We're Jumpin'
/ May 10, 2012Thank you for your wise words and encouragement. Your words made me smile, I guess this is the reason why I blog 😀
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