Used to, when people asked me what I “did” I answered “Speech Language Pathologist at this hospital or that clinic”. When people would ask “where or did you go to college” and I replied “Yes, I have a Master’s degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences” this would open up a conversation of what my job included and this was usually met with “Ahhhs” or even accolades.
Let’s fast forward a few years and 5 babies, shall we…
Now, when people ask what I do and I answer “Stay at home, home-schooling mom, homemaker, etc” or (gulp) “blogger” my response does not garner the accolades like it did when I was answering “Speech language Pathologist” . Seems homemaker/homeschooler/wife/mother just isn’t as, you know, prestigious…but here’s the thing…
What I am doing now has worth.
Has merit.
Has value.
Has me dropping into bed by 9pm every night from sheer exhaustion, thank you very much…
And what you are doing, Stay-at-Home Moms reading this right now, has merit also.
Tons.
Epic amounts of worth and importance.
Yes, I have a college degree, but my real education came when I became a wife and a mother to 5 small children, for that is when I truly learned the arts of hospitality, negotiation and small group tactile maneuvering (5 kids under the age of 11 in a zoo, anyone?), along with some serious spot on multi-tasking.
As I am a lover of learning something new all the time, I love learning everything I can about doing my current job~~ Homemaker~~ bigger and better. Love or hate Martha Stewart, I love how she elevated homemaking to mean a skill set that should be respected. And thus comes the point of this post:
Meaning… like any other job, you can’t do it properly in your pajamas. (Maybe you can, but for me, I get so much more done in the morning if I get dressed first thing as opposed to starting my day in my robe and pjs).
And you need to show up on-time, everyday (before your kids wake up, preferably).
And in a regular job if you checked facebook or your phone every five minutes you would probably be sacked so maybe set limits for yourself for how much you are willing to let technology distract you from what you really want to accomplish during your days or evenings. (As a blogger, this is something I am constantly having to “keep in check” in my own life.)
And… if you are a Type A kind of person, or someone who used to be defined by a different career, then I encourage you to be involved in Continuing Education in the form of new skills or new recipes or new interesting things that you can pick out and “give a go”. For me this helped my transition from full time professional who was known at work for my problem solving expertise and creative way of dealing with therapy clients to full time SAHM.
Picking something new to learn gave me an outlet for my need to be creative while still enabling me to do my job at home. Because I love learning new things, I am currently learning to knit. My love of community gave me a desire to blog. I didn’t start those at the same time. I went at my own pace. You have lots of choices within this amazing career of homemaker.
Mainly, I learned that when I pursued my job as a homemaker and mother with purposeful intention, just as I did my previous career, others respected it more as well. Because I was proud of myself and the job I did, I exerted that in my manner, speech, and deeds.
Hold your heads high
Annette lived many years as an exhausted wife of 1 and mother of 6. Grab your fuzzy blanket, pour your favorite drink, and browse through our encouraging tips, printables, and curriculum options. Read more about me and the ministry here at In All You Do
This Post Has 4 Comments
Beautiful family!
Ah, thank you so much. My only regret is we didn’t have more!
amen! I am NOT a stay at home mother, however wish for it so very much. I do not have very much time in between scrunching housework and dinner, etc after I get off from work to spend with my children…I am usually in bed by 9:30 exhausted. Weekends are the best, however its catch up on errands and more housework but I do get to spend more time with my family and we always try to do at least one family fun thing every weekend. My job is very mentally demanding and extremely high paced so my brain is mush when I get home. My husband and I want to get a place in the country and get away from it all…then I will not have to work for other people any more and can do for my family and really feel that reward. So this was the best article you wrote and should speak loudly to others. my husband is received disability so he is there for the kids more than I am but for some reason does not know what a SAHM really means and falls short on the housework, lol. He is excellent with the kids though and every day is filled with laughter,
which is more important. Thanks for the great post!!
Hi Gina, I worked full time as a pediatric speech language pathologist until I delivered baby #4. I remember so many years wishing I could be home full time with the kids. Now that I can be, I am, more than anything else, so grateful for the opportunity! And if I make it to 9:30, it must be New Year’s Eve because I think I am asleep most nights before my head hits the pillow! Thanks for commenting!