Stay at Home Mother

I never realized what a stay at home mother goes through until I became one back in 2001. For most of my life, I was a workaholic starting at a young age of 15 and worked up until the day I went to the hospital to have my little one. Due to issues with childcare, I ended up having to become a stay at home mother and worried that by doing so I would succumb to boredom. I however realized rather quickly how I was totally inaccurate. When a mother states her occupation is a stay at home mother, noses would turn up and little whispers of how that is not a real job would occur. No one realizes how much being a stay at home mother is a full time job.

What is the stigma that causes people to believe that a stay at home mother is any less of an occupation that one who goes to a place of business and works? Most people think that those that stay at home with their children, eat chocolate while watching the midday soap operas and laying on the couch while those that work are at the office working on projects with the deadlines, the stress and the bosses to have to deal with. I learned very quickly that to be a stay at home mother was a full time job.

For instance, a stay at home mother requires one to be at work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days a year. A stay at home mother does not get sick time or a vacation from her job. A stay at home mother does not get paid for working eighty plus hours a week but yet does the job graciously. A stay at home mother does not get 401K plans or health insurance either.

If one would say their occupation was a day care worker or a nutritionist or a health care worker or a janitorial worker one would not think any less of a person. However is that not what a mother does? A mother takes care of her children, ensures that her family eats properly and prepares meals based on the families likes, dislikes and allergies. A mother takes care of all the scrapes and other needs of first aid and keeps her home clean and presentable on a daily basis.

However without play dates or other functions, my adult interaction was quite limited and when around other adults my topics of discussion were limited to most recent cartoons and the escapades with feeding time. This does not help a mother to not have stimulated adult discussion. One could become depressed without adequate adult interaction. Luckily I found an industry online that contained a forum and adults all over the world in which I could discuss my interest that did not pertain to my job as a stay at home mother with adults located all over the world. I do believe this type of interaction while still far from real life discussion did help deal with the absences of adult interaction.

I recently as of last year went back to work and after adapting to change of scenery, I have decided that both are just as equal as the other. I still am a mother and that will always be my occupation but now I get to also perform a job outside of the home where I spend most of my day at. While I loved being a stay at home mother, it was also satisfying to work outside of the home and get a back from my other job. There are adult interaction, deadlines and other challenges that can allow me to adequately use my previous schooling and a great workout for the mind.