Why I stay home.

Being a stay-at-home-mom is probably one of the most important things in the world to me, second only to being a good wife. Because it is so important to me I am very sensitive about the subject, I have gotten a lot of criticism from people who are supposed to be close to me and also rude comments about how boring it must be blah blah blah.

Well my only response to the boring comments is my personal opinion and that is "You can't possibly get bored unless you are sitting around ignoring your kids all day. There is always something to do." Sure you might get bored of the routine every once in a while, but all you have to do is switch it up. When you're a SAHM you are the boss, you make the schedule, choose the days events and are the only one who decides if it is boring or not.

Something I read in Dr. Laura's In Praise of Stay-At-Home-Moms made a lot of sense to me. Dr. Laura said "More often than not, these "grandmothers," are acting out their guilt for not raising you." The quote was in regard to SAHM's who are getting the guilt trip from their own mothers about staying home. That thought just might be true, in my case at least I hear a lot of the negative comments from older women who didn't stay home with their kids or women around my age who don't plan on staying home with their kids.

I'm not saying being a SAHM is the only way, or the only right way, or the best way for everyone, but it is for me and my family.

I used to want to have a career, have a few kids and put them in daycare, that was my dream as a teen. I did not want to stay home. Once I got married and started thinking about having my own family the idea of having babies to then leave them in the care of someone else all day was too much for me. I didn't want to do it. Luckily, I married a wonderful man who completely supports my decision to stay home and raise our children, even if that means he has to work harder and we will have fewer things. I am one of the lucky ones, I know that.

Even though I know I am one of the lucky ones who gets to stay home with my child it doesn't make it any easier to hear the bullshit negative comments. Just like I don't judge moms who love their careers and want to keep them after having children, I don't want to be judged for wanting to stay home with my kids over a career.

Another thing in Dr. Laura's book really hit me hard and it was "Being a SAHM was fabulous-even though it was very difficult. It was my second chance to have a mother-child relationship. The first one was a bust. But the second one? Well my son is in the military and says, "I love you, Mom," ever time we end a phone conversation."

Bingo. Right. There. That is is. That is what I want, it is why I am doing this. I want to give my child everything I never had. I want to be there for him no matter the day, whether he is happy or sad, sick or health, loving me or hating me. I want to be there. He will know that no matter what, mom is there and always will be.

So like I said, this is my dream come true. I might not seem like the most ambitious person in the world, but really I am. I am dedicating my life to my husband and my children and nothing else. Anything else will just be a very distant third. After all, what other job can you think of where you can sit at your computer (during nap time) and write about your life while you rock out to and Eric Clapton playlist?