I have now officially lived for 2.5 months as a stay at home mom. Making me TOTALLY not an expert, but has that ever stopped me from weighing in before? Nope.
For 13+ years I worked full time. 8 of those years while also parenting children along with my husband. I assure you that it is absolutely possible to work full time and raise children well. It involves careful scheduling, freezer meals and cramming a lot of stuff into weekends. Also, if there are two adults actively participating in the parenting, that is a major bonus.
To be honest with you, I never understood why anyone would want to be a stay at home parent. I'm sure some people adore being home all day with babies, but I liked working outside my home far more than that experience. I loved the creativity, energy and interactions that my job as a teacher allowed me. Once children went to school I was extremely baffled by what someone would DO all day. It does not take 7 hours to produce food for your family.
After 2.5 months, here are my very un-expert findings: Being a stay at home mom allows me time to devote to my family. I don't mean that I cater to their every whim, or even make their beds for them in the morning. However, I'm not trying to straighten my hair at 6:25 a.m. while yelling "Is everyone wearing shoes?!?"
I have 5 minutes to sit down with the girls after school. I have time to reflect on things and think them through instead of running non-stop and making snap decisions because I forgot to research something or talk it over with my husband. At night, when I would have been simultaneously emptying the dishwasher, packing lunches and brainstorming lesson ideas, I am now able to play with my kids (At least every once in a while.) While it is not the challenge for my brain that teaching was, being a stay at home mom has brought some calm and balance to my life and therefore to my family's life as well.
I once read a hilarious list about ways to know if you're dating/married to a teacher. One read "At the end of the day, she resembles a frizzy witch in a cardigan." That was me in a nutshell- frizzy, witchy AND cardigan-y. I can safely say that being a stay at-home mom has eliminated much of the witchy-ness at the end of the day. I no longer yell at the kid who is taking an extra long time in the shower. And while I haven't broken out the cardigans yet, I do find myself slightly overdressed much of the time since I don't seem to own a lot of yoga pants.
Exactly how I felt at the end of every work day. |
Just in case you're wondering what I DO all day... I go to the gym instead of paying for a membership I never used. I grocery shop so that I'm not taking up half of Saturday. I clean and organize stuff so that we can actually find it without running around screaming at the last minute. I go to programs at the girls' school. I've been to 4 of these in the past months, compared to 2 the entire 8 years I was working.
What else do I do? I look for a job.
Best Casinos with Slot machines and winnings in 2021 - Mapyro
ReplyDeletePlay 김제 출장안마 online slots games in an instant with the latest casinos 보령 출장안마 software 김해 출장안마 and mobile 평택 출장샵 betting apps. Play games with real 광주 출장안마 cash prizes!