More Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom

Upon reading Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom by Heather Michelle on Associated Content, I was amazed as to the degree of our similarities and amused by the humor in which she portrayed.

However, what amazed me more were the comments that followed her article. Many said, "You hit the nail on the head". Others balked, ridiculed and disagreed. What is up with that? The title of the article is Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom, the emphasis is on the "A". Read differently, one could call it "Confessions of Heather Michelle, A Stay at Home Mom". One commenter went as far as to say, "You are lazy… I want to take your baby's throw up and chuck it at you." I will never understand what gives anyone the authority or gumption to judge someone's mother skills.

Despite the nasty and negative comments, I think Heather Michelle's article is an excellent example of how to be a stay at home mom. Her house is clean, though probably not spotless. She cleans and does chores as she can, though she may lie and say it was much harder, and took longer than she lets on. She takes much-needed time out for naps (most likely when the kids are sleeping or safely occupied, and loves time-out errands to get a break in the day. She would rather be working… for the sake of her sense of identity. Even though she get frustrated, can be envious of moms with jobs, and feels entitled to a paycheck, her children are her first priority. Is that so wrong?

Personally, I have worked outside of the home, been a WAHM and a SAHM. Currently I work at home while homeschooling a couple of tweens.

Here are my Confessions of being a WAHM:

Confessions of being a WAHM 1. From an early age, my kids understood the words 'sarcasm' and 'euphemism'. That is just how I communicate. They now wield it well themselves… sniff… I am so proud!
Confessions of being a WAHM 2. I have trained my kids to be self-sufficient. Both my 10 and 12-year-old kids have been cooking simple meals for the last year and are capable of washing their own clothes when they have to.
Confessions of being a WAHM 3. If they try to interrupt me when I am on the phone, I check for signs of blood or broken bones before responding, since they know better than to interrupt what could very well be a business call.
Confessions of being a WAHM 4. Some days we do not get dressed. We spend one to two days a week in our pajamas. Friends know to call before stopping by. We may go as far as to all pile up in one bed with all of our laptops and work and play for hours. These days are usually the result of an overly busy day the day before.
Confessions of being a WAHM 5. I solicit their help. If I am having trouble completing a project, and there is something they are capable of helping me with, I request they help me. These tasks may vary from typing to proofreading, to cleaning the kitchen while I work. If you have viewed my Associated Content videos, you know my daughter is often in front of the camera. What you may not know is that my son is often behind the camera. My son has also helped me when an editor required me to write in HTML CSS style sheets.
Confessions of being a WAHM 6. When I am working on a deadline, I have my husband and kids fend for themselves… and bring me "some" while they are at it.
Confessions of being a WAHM 7. I have a housekeeper. She generally charges less per hour than I make, and I hate to clean. Therefore, my house is always clean and tidy, which leaves time for us to work and play.
Confessions of being a WAHM 8. I hug and kiss my kids a lot. I never thought they would allow affection at their age, but they do. When I say, "I love you", they clearly say, "I love you too".
Confessions of being a WAHM 9. We argue. My kids would debate a rock. I think I know it all. My husband thinks he knows the rest. This causes a bit of head butting. We always make up, or at least agree to disagree.
Confessions of being a WAHM 10. We would not change a thing. We love being near each other, working near each other, and learning near each other. We all support one another's activities. Our days are spent working on my sons youth group and academic activities, my daughters pageant activities, and my WAHM activities; all the while making time for my husbands days off.

Note: This is my personal view based on my personal experiences. If you do things differently, I would love to hear how you do it. If you think you can do it better… then do!