When asked what I do all day, I just point to this little human running around. I often want to follow up this response with if you really want to know lets ask my witnesses:
- The dirty dishes – They’ll share I keep my family fed and manage to get creative with inserting those veggies everyone loves so much.
- The marker and paint marks on the table – They’ll say I got to use my artistic skills today.
- The never-ending pile of laundry – It’ll share, laundry today or naked tomorrow.
Confession, I have moments where I worry if am I doing this stay at home mama thing right. Should I be doing more? What am I doing with this gap of unemployment that’s growing, because what I do isn’t something you put on a resume (although the job description is a real page turner).
This isn’t a posts to compare those who work outside the home or from home. All are impactful, whatever job you do, if you choose to do it well. When you put in extra hours and do research trying to constantly improve, there’s a sense of accomplishment when you start seeing the results.
I feel the same way when it comes to raising my son and caring for our home. I just choose to accept my paycheck in finger-paint art.
Confession, I don’t always love being home. Sometimes, I miss having a boss that isn’t two years old. I miss days I could go to the bathroom without little fingers wiggling under the door playing hide and seek. I miss being able to clock in and clock out.
Maybe being a SAHM (Stay at Home Mama) met you before or during the pandemic, first let me say (insert breath here). Second, running your home well is a big deal and it’s not as easy as one may think. So, I say to those who:
- Ate cold fish sticks off your child’s plate because you realized all you’ve had all day was a cup of lukewarm coffee that you kept reheating in the microwave and forgetting.
- Picked up the same toy 100 times and then stepped on a small lego piece while trying to tip toe during nap time.
Pause for applause!
From one SAHM to another we ROCK! We have a tough job, filled with dance parties and arts/crafts and as self fulfilling as those moments are it’s even more than that. While we navigate through what being at HOME looks like for us right now, here are a few things that helps this mama bear out:
- Creating a safe space to let it out. Whether that be going to God, a friend or a therapist, I also write in my journal. Being home can come with a lot of emotions, don’t ignore them. What I have noticed is I’m not alone in this rollercoaster. I wouldn’t have made this discovery had I not found these spaces to share.
- Letting My Hair Down I have been intentional with finding something that’s just for me. I have found a community where the only hat I wear is being a woman. I suggest you also find ways that allow you to be yourself.
- Be Gentle with Myself I still have to constantly remind myself I’ll never have it all figured out and that’s OK. As I take the next small step, I take a breath and know God fills in the gaps along the way.
