Last week, with the baby in one arm and my sanity in the other, I ran blubbering across the yard to my husband's office in my red fleece penguin pajama pants and oversized tshirt. It was after lunch. I still wasn't dressed, lunch wasn't ready, and the house was an incredible disaster. In short, I was a mess. Really, there wasn't any reason for me to have a freak out, but ya know, sometimes it happens. It just happens. In the most dramatic and ridiculous way, I told him all the craziness that I knew I only halfway meant. Then I blew my nose and went home....perfectly fine. I'm sure I left him befuzzled at first, but despite my blubbering, he knew the truth: I love being a stay at home mom.
I love being a stay at home mom, but even though I wanted this, sometimes, I can't help but getting a little frayed at the edges.
#1. Sometimes I envy the women who go to work every day.
#2. Occasionally I have the urge to throw all our stuff in the front yard, sell it or burn it, and start completely over.
#3. I have been reading the same borrowed book for over a year.
#4. I don't do housework anymore. I just survive until the next naptime.
#5. My living room used to be for grown ups. Now it looks like daycare.
#6. I can track the day's menu by looking under the highchair.
#7. Sometimes, my greatest accomplishment in a day is brushing my teeth.
#8. My girlfriends and I used to talk about boyfriends, baby names, and shopping trips. Now we swap stories about husbands, baby poop, and tight budgets.
#9. Co-Sleeping is only fun until someone gets hurt.
#10. I have discovered, by experience, that each food group grows a specific smell and color of mold when left in a Pyrex in the fridge for too long
Moms are awesome, but being so awesome takes work. Work is tough. So, being stressed about your current mom status doesn't make you a bad mom. It makes you a realistic one. My current mom status is "Stay-At Home-Mom." I wouldn't change that for anything. I specifically asked God to provide a way for me to do so, and I've been blessed to have that prayer answered with a resounding "YES!" I realize that there is a time and a purpose for everything, and that everything has a season. This staying at home season in my life is only temporary. I know that eventually, like every season, it will come to an end. Whether that be the beginning of kindergarten or the end of highschool...er whatever, my staying at home, will most likely not be forever. I won't be raising kids forever. Knowing that, makes me look at the things that stress me out with a little more grace and a little more humor. It makes me remember to practice contentment whatever my circumstance.
"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
Philippians 4:12-13
You won't raise kids forever, it's true, but forever depends on how you raise your kids now. Make every moment count, sweet girl. You have a great advantage in knowing that staying with your child at home and being able to do that is the right way to go. You must have had a great mom yourself.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sharon. I intend to! And yes, I have a fabulous mother myself. she taught me ALMOST everything I know about being a mom and wife. :)
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DeleteThis made me smile! As a mom I have encountered many trials and challenges. I used to be frazzled all of the time about those trials and challenges until one day, I decided to change my mind set. I was so tired of being bogged down and not thinking clearly that I was desperate at wanting to totally transform my outlook on all of the difficult things that happen and go along with being a mother.. for me, that was a quote, "Trials always come wrapped in blessings." In other words, if I begin to see the dishes piled high in the sink and the potty training "surprises" left for me to scrub out of the carpet, and the soon to be sleepless nights with hungry screaming baby in one arm and a tantrum throwing toddler in the other.....who has YET to be hosed down from sphaghetti night (you know how THAT goes!) Call that a bit of a challenge? A trial? Yes, I would think so! But imagine the joy we would get in remembering life is a gift! The good and the not so good! That is why they call it, "The present!" And oh the stress we wouldn't have to be eatin' up by if we saw our every day trials and challenges as mothers as blessings! Blessings that help us grow and learn and really, even benefit from! Thanks for the encouragement and the laughs Laura! We need this honesty as Mothers! It's ok to be frazzled sometimes as long as it doesn't get the best of us! Great post. Hang in there! It's only gonna' get better from here! Titus is a blessing! Enjoy every moment! :) _tina
DeleteLaura,
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blog posts. You find a way to not only be honest, but be funny and endearing. I completely understand your stay at home mom blues. I have never been able to stay at home with Teegan; but since I've been out on Medical Leave, I have been a sahm for 6 months. The dishes have always grown taller and taller, my carpets now have a wonderful array of colors due to food stains, and my son has turned our living room into a crazy mess. I used to be so tired from working full time, being a full time mom, and a full time wife. I thought it'd calm down once I was home more.. but it hasn't. I've found that I'm just as tired being home all day. Potty training and food challenges are craziness. Stay at home moms work just as hard as full time job moms. I enjoy being both. I love my job and I love being a mom. My house will always be on the back burner.. because as for me and my family, we're making memories. Sometimes it's alright to let the dishes sit for awhile. I'd rather play in bath time and spend the extra minutes of my day having a great time with my family. Thank you for you sharing you wonderful insight into a busy mom's life. :)
Thank you Jen! I really appreciate that you read them and take the time to comment.
DeleteBeing a stay at home mom is def a lot of work! I worked full time before I had our baby, and I've found that I'm working just as hard as I did when I had a "real job." I thought it would be more calm too, but like you found out, IT'S JUST AS MUCH WORK AS WORKING!!!! It's def reassuring though to talk about it honestly and find out that other moms feel the same way!
Did my comment show up? Sorry I sent it twice... my phone was acting glitchy. And very well said Jen! :) I like that, the mess isn't just mess it's memories being made! Being a stay at home mom is the best and most rewarding job by far. Some people look at me crazy for wanting to stay at home with my kids all day and have fun cleaning house and reading stories, changing diapers playing with blocks...and I look at them thinking, how could anyone not want to? Children are the closest thing to Heaven on this earth and I don't want to miss a minute of that!
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