Being a Stay at Home Mom is a Fulltime Job

We are raising our kids!

Yes, I know we lose our patience when the one-year-old is standing on the coffee table for the fifteenth time, making herself dizzy by spinning around in circles after you have asked her to get off. But we are there. We are the ones doing the discipline, consoling after boo boos. We are the ones that, as they get older and are approached with trouble, they will feel comfortable coming to and crying on our shoulder. Plus, we are getting to teach them, mold them and watch them grow. They grow up so fast and I made the mistake of missing it with my first-born while I worked. Now I know what an advantage it is.

We don’t have to worry about a childcare worker hurting our child, mistreating our child, or just not taking care of them like we want them to. Not to mention the times I would pick her up and they would say that they could not get her to wake up and eat, only to find out that they kept her in a swing all day. Ugh! Let’s face it- moms are better at raising their own children.

We are providing for our families
When I first became a stay-at-home mom, I had a woman say to me, “Now you will be able to be there for your husband." I thought, whatever, where have I been the last six years of our marriage? She was right. I was too caught up in my jobs and careers to even take a moment to know who my husband was let alone what he was involved in.

Now, I have the time to listen to him, listen to my kids, plan family dinners, outings and somewhat keep the chores caught up. Hey, I am not a miracle worker!

I have seen a huge difference in my family since I became a stay-at-home mom. My son knows I exist now and so does my husband, which is a plus. But I have seen us grow closer. We are still stressed for time, don’t get me wrong. Even families who have stay-at-home moms have responsibilities and stresses, but we deal with them better.

What mothers are really worth
Stay-at-home mothers wear many hats. They're the family CEO, the day care provider, accountant, chauffeur, counselor, chef, nurse, laundress, entertainer, personal stylist, and educator. Based on a 90-hour work week, Salary.com has estimated that a fair wage for the typical stay-at-home mom would be well over $90,000 for executing all of her daily tasks. Factor in overtime, and the appropriate salary takes a leap of around $25,000.

"Mothers are responsible for the mental and physical well being of the family - putting a price on that isn't easy," said Lena Bottos, compensation market analyst for Salary.com. "But we looked at it as what you would have to pay other people to do the same work if the mom weren't there."

Even if these mothers were getting paid what they'd be worth on the market, Bottos added that they still wouldn't be adequately compensated. "When you take into account that it represents a 90-hour workweek, and doesn't even begin to factor in that they are on call 24 hours a day, it's not so large. Plus, stay-at-home moms get no benefits in terms of pension or 401(k)."

I feel like my life has real purpose
Don’t get me wrong, when I worked I felt important. But it was the wrong kind of importance. I feel like I am now fulfilling my God-given role. That is to be available emotionally and physically for my family. We evaluate the importance of things now. Before, I guess my vision seemed clouded. I was never sure what was more important –staying up doing lesson plans, giving the kids baths, doing laundry or looking at the stars with my kids. Oftentimes, my family and, sad to say, God were put after my job. It took me staying at home to realize they should not be in that position. Now God is first and everything else is viewed in that same manner.

There are a million more reasons we should be proud we are stay-at-home moms, from keeping our kids healthy to being home for them when they hit those awkward troubled teenage years that seem to get them in all sorts of trouble. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to list all of the reasons we should be proud.

Just remember, we are all trying to do what is best for our family. Maybe we all need to not wear our feelings on our sleeves and instead be proud of who we are. I am going to work hard at being proud to be a stay-at-home mom in the meantime.

I feel very blessed that I am financially able to stay at home with my kids. And I would urge anyone else who CAN swing it financially, to please do so. Both you and your kids will benefit greatly.

And please, try to keep your chin up. Remember that childhood passes quickly, so try to enjoy these special, early years with your kids!

Article Source

At Bizymoms.com we use team effort to provide the most enlightening and informative articles on the net. Joyce Gowens is Chief Writer, and Home Business Expert at www.bizymoms.com. The site offers home-based business start-up kits, online classes, e-books, chats and enthusiastic support for moms who want to have it all – a family and a career. Visit www.bizymoms.com for more information.

 

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