Being A "Stay-At-Home" Mother

Ever since I was really little I looked up to my mom for being an at-home-mother. I wanted to be just like her and also do that which the Lord has counseled us to do, and that is to be at home and nurturing our children and keeping them safe and teaching them so they can grow.

Now, when I was five years old, I was asked the typical question for a kindergartner, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I immediately responded, "An At-Home-Mom." I remember my teacher looking at me and her saying, "Oh...but you should choose a career to go into, dear." What? As I have gotten older and reflect back on this experience I am disappointed in the fact that my own teacher, who was a woman, had the typical thought of being a mom isn't a career of itself. Don't we pay people to take care of our children to pursue a career? Isn't that their career? So wouldn't that make being a mom a career, minus the money? I feel that with careers and goals, everything has become about money, not about the personal relationships and the internal gain we have from the experience, the growth, the knowledge.

I must say, I love this article by Dennis Prager called "Does a Full-Time Homemaker Swap Her Mind for a Mop?" because it talks about how much knowledge she can obtain while she is at home. Women who do stay home are viewed as lazy and just "watch soap operas and eat bon-bons" when many are actually working hard to keep learning or helping their children and doing things that are required for daily life. Sure, they can choose to be lazy, but they also have the choice to work hard in the home and continually learn.

Next time you run into someone who is planning on being a "stay-at-home" mother, tell them they are awesome and support them in their decision. They are putting their children's life and the hope and growth of the future generation before themselves.