|
Wow - I know women like this! I don't think this concept is that new.
Having children is the most rewarding thing I've ever experienced. I worked for three years after my first was born, and then decided to stay at home once the second one came along. I was fortunate that my mother kept her, and I never had to experience the world of daycares. For me, it was difficult to work and only have a few hours each night with my children - it never felt like real quality time because I started fixing dinner the minute I got home, and by the time that was over it was time to give my baby a bath and put her to bed. I spent my weekends running to the grocery store, or doing errands I never had time for during the week.
I've been a stay at home mom now for about six years, and have loved most every moment. Being around for my girls and being involved with school activities has been very important to me. It has been a personal choice, and I don't regret giving up my job in the least. I have spent my days playing with the girls, fixing perfect dinners, meeting friends for lunch and getting involved with the community through the Junior League. My youngest will start Kindergarten in another year, and I am now seeking a master's degree in hopes that I can find something part time or a job flexible enough for me to stay involved with my girls. I personally think that while being at home when they are young is important, being at home during those turbulent adolescent years is just as important.
Staying at home is not for everyone. It is NOT an easy job. There seems to be a major misconception that all SAH moms do is sit around eating bon bons and watching soap operas. It is just as challenging and stimulating and busy as working full time. You find an identify for yourself that is just as important as a career.
Working full time with children is not easy either. It's hard to get everything accomplished in a household between the evening hours and weekends. I know some women who could not WAIT to get back to work because they did not want to stay at home with the baby! And that's okay too - work gave them a release and they were probably better mothers because of it. It is not easy juggling everything - career, family, self but many women find a way to manage it all.
I admire both women who choose to stay at home with their children, and women who choose to work after having children. Both situations are incredibly challenging, and neither is easy.
|