“You must be well rested since you only work two and a half days a week.” or “Work must be a vacation for you.” are two things I hear when people find out that I work part-time… Both assumptions are incorrect.
Stay at home moms have the most demanding job ever! You’re a teacher, a nurse, a chef, a maid and a taxi driver. You don’t get a lunch break to run errands by yourself; heck, you don’t get a bathroom break by yourself! You fight picky eaters and kids that don’t want to take naps and you watch Caillou again and again on Netflix (tell me that isn’t just us). I am not well rested when I head into work, I’m exhausted! People that say,”What do you DO all day?” are just asking for a smackdown. I want to respond with, “Raising my children, not eating bon bons and watching soaps all day.” Being at home is a gift that I truly cherish but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t exhausting.
Work is not a vacation. I am still at work, away from my children and dealing with other people. When was the last time you got up after a sleepless night with a nursing baby and headed into work and said, “This is the life, what a vacation.”? That is just silly talk!
No matter what you do: Whether you work outside the home full-time, part-time or are a stay at home mom, YOU are important and appreciated! You work hard and deserve a huge pat on the back. Moms that work outside the home usually still come home and have a house to run and dinner to get on the table; while stay at home moms sometimes go days without ever leaving their house. It’s hard work either way but so rewarding!
I look at my baby girls and wonder how I ever lived without them! How was I not sure I would ever want to have kids? I’m tired 99% of the time but I am happier now than I ever was when I was well rested!
