Stay at home mom life
There are many kinds of stay at home moms (SAHMs). The stereotype is the 50s mom who cooks, cleans, and looks great in pearls while doing it. However, this is not the case for most SAHMs anymore. Most of us have volunteer work, jobs we are doing from home or (as in my case) we have kids who demand extra attention because of a disability. There are all different types of SAHMs now and so often these women get put in a small box yet are given big expectations.
As a SAHM you have to be flexible because your job is constantly changing. When you have a newborn and your biggest concern is keeping them alive and trying to get as much sleep as you can. Once children can walk the job gets tougher. With a mobile little one, we are more concerned with safety and keeping them entertained, always having to keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t put something crazy in their mouth. Then everything changes again once children start having time outside the home whether that is sports, music, or school. This gives moms, maybe not alone time, but time without having a child glued to their hip.
In general, fashion tends to go out the window for a period of time as a SAHM. Yoga pants or leggings are a common “uniform” for the SAHM because when you are constantly on the move and continually have some sort of sticky substance on your clothes, it is easier to clean. Also, they are comfortable. Usually we aren’t trying to look cute, sometimes our focus is to get through the day and we have no desire to impress anyone.
As a SAHM we wear many hats. People tend to think that a SAHM is only taking care of feeding the kids and cleaning the house. While these are definitely some of our responsibilities, we have to do so much more. We are the schedule makers, chauffeurs, budget keepers, assistants, and much more. This means we are in charge of all our household schedules, doctors appointments, vacation planning, and childcare for when you have otherwise committed. This might also include a job or volunteer work that you need to work around, spouses work schedule, kids calendars, kids naps, and your own personal life. Are you tired just reading that? I am!
My husband works two jobs and works very hard. He provides for our family in a way that my ministry work never could financially. However, this leaves him little time at home. So when he is home, I want to make sure that he is getting to spend that time with the girls and with me. So often people think that SAHM are resentful of their husbands who are working out of the house. While I do think husbands should still help some with kids and house chores, I know that they have things on their plate too.
Being a SAHM is NOT easy. It’s an ever-changing job that is simultaneously ridiculously hard but also immensely rewarding. So now matter what your SAHM journey looks like, let's give ourselves a pat on the back for keeping our kids alive.