The following in NO WAY insinuates my husband's attitude towards me or anything I do. I have a wonderful husband who enjoys his wife staying at home with our children and who wants nothing more than what we have now (except maybe a few extra dollars in our checking account). But, the way things are these days, people have a different attitude of mother's who prefer to stay home during the day than they did 50 years ago. Yes, I work inside my home AND outside of my home (part-time), so I do have the best of both worlds. But, I certainly am not even close to being a breadwinner.
-1. As a mother who stays at home most of the week, I DO NOT sit around all day eating junk food and catching up on any "stories" (soap operas) or talk shows OR ordering the latest fashion on QVC, OR playing on Facebook (as tempting as it is).
-2. No, I don't sleep late. EVER. There are some nights I'm lucky if I sleep at all, never mind the fact that my alarm goes off before the sun even rises so that I can be my husband's personal alarm clock. Well, that only takes 30 minutes of pushing and nagging and hitting. By then, yes, I'm wide awake. But, it works out for the best because I have a kid asleep in his bed that needs to be woken up in time to eat a "leisurely" breakfast, brush his teeth, comb his hair, and manage to get his clothes on without too much whining and complaining. This doesn't include the lunches that need to be made for both my husband AND my kindergartner (and the days I actually leave the house for my "real job", it includes MY lunch, too.) On top of making sure my 5 year old has all his papers in his folder that he needs for the day, his morning snack and beverage, and my signature on yesterday's note from the teacher. Oh, and making sure he doesn't forget said lunch and backpack on his way out the door.
-3. I don't "do lunch" with any of my friends. Most of my friends have jobs outside of the home. So, we don't go kick back somewhere with a dirty martini and our husband's credit cards, shooting the breeze, and wearing our new tennis outfits. (Which, by the way, I don't even own a tennis outfit....) Also, I'm lucky if lunch consists of a grilled cheese OR PB&J sandwich. I'm also lucky if I can manage to get any lunch down my 1 year old without most of it going on the floor to the dog first.
-4. I don't shop all day. If I shopped on a regular basis, we would not have a roof over our heads. I felt guilty enough going to Wal-Mart today and buying a $9 tablecloth for my dining room table. But I did. My outing to Wal-Mart was my first shopping "spree" since I went to Kroger last week to buy groceries so that we could eat dinner.
-5. I clip coupons. No, I'm not fanatic about it, but yes, I try and save a dime here and there. It takes time and it takes concentration while in the store. It's pretty much a pain in the you-know-what.
-6. I clean toilets. I also clean tubs, wash and change sheets, dust, vacuum, sweep, mop, ect., ect. Should I continue????
-7. I sit in a car-rider line for 40 minutes, sometimes in the blazing hot sun, so that my son does not have to ride on the dreaded "cheese wagon". This 40 minutes also includes the fact that I have to try and entertain my OTHER son to keep him from screaming his head off because he gets bored, or because it's his nap time.
-8. Dinner. At our house, it's a zoo. When I cook, that means I have two kids under my feet- one in every cabinet and nook and cranny he can find, and the other hollering "Mama, Mama, I'm hungry! When are we going to eat? Mama, what are we having for supper? Mama, I'm soooooooooooo hungry!!!! Mama, Mama, MAMA!!!!!". I never understood growing up why my mother would get so irritated when one of us asked "what's for supper?". I thought it was an innocent enough question. But now, I totally understand. Sheesh. I'm becoming MY MOTHER...........
-9. Bath time. It's another zoo. End of that story.
-10. Bed time. Making sure everyone has had their milk, brushing teeth, using the potty, saying prayers. Bed time alone is tiresome.
So yes. I stay home with my kids most of the week. I DO NOT sit around and stare at the television, go shopping, "do lunch" or take naps. Fortunately, I have a husband who still helps out in a BIG way. He cooks dinner from time to time, let's me have a girl's night out occasionally, and -OOPS- if I forgot a thing or two from my last visit to Kroger or Wal- Mart (because one or both of the kids is screaming or begging or just making noise in general, so that I lose my train of thought) he is always willing to make an extra trip. And balancing the checkbook and managing our money? Well, he takes care of that, too. If I balanced our checkbook, we'd ALWAYS be "a day late and a dollar short". Literally.
I also have a wonderful mother who helps out, too. Not only does she keep both of my children while I'm actually earning my REAL paycheck, but she does ALL my laundry. Not only does she wash and fold, but she puts our clothes away, too. WOW. What a woman she is. I love her enough, but that just adds to it.
June Cleaver is my role model. No, I'm nothing like her, but in some ways I wish I was. Wearing pearls and high heels while keeping a spotless house with two boys, and having dinner cooked to perfection before Ward makes it through the door AND staying calm and collected without the use of drugs or alcohol. Wow. What a woman.
The list is actually longer, but I don't have time for all that drama. I think you get the point. For any single parent, or parents who both work out of the home every day out of necessity, my hat is off to you. I would be such a weenie.
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