Stay At Home Mom

                Being a stay at home mother isn't as easy as everyone thinks.  Most other mothers, and even some men think that being a mother means you do nothing all day long.  When in reality that isn't true, do stay at home mothers really just stay at home? Mothers do a lot, rather you work outside of your home or not.  Being at home with your children, doesn't make a mother "lazy", that all she does is sit on the couch all day long. 

                For me personally, I have to do something to pay the bills, but also at the same time I have to take care of my children.  So I baby sit.  For me it is what is best for my family.  My children need someone to take them to school, to pick them up, to do homework, and to take care of them.  I don't have family that helps me out, and day care is too expensive.  Before I had my youngest son, I looked into getting a job.  I did my research on day cares and prices.  If I had been able to get a full time job that paid me $9.00 an hour, which was very unlikely since I have no work experience, then for full time day care for one child, and after school care for 4 would cost me all of my pay check plus $200 dollars out of my pocket.  That isn't including the company taking out insurance or taxes.  And now I have another child to factor in.  So with those costs, it is in the best interest of my children for me to baby sit and make money from  home.  That way  more money is coming into the house.  It may not be picture perfect, but my kids do not go without.  I make sacrifices every single day for them.  I do not buy myself things, when I do it is a rare opportunity; like for make up only.  My children are more important and for them to have a good life with the things that they need and want. Plus they can't walk to school or ride the bus, so someone has to be there for them; and that person is me.   Of course it would make things easier on me and even less stressful if there was more money, or someone else that helped out, but we are healthy and happy.  And honestly it is a huge accomplishment to not being living with someone else, or having someone rent part of my house just to make ends meet.  It is a big deal to me that I take care of my children and I know I am raising them the way I want them raised.  Most of the time, I work more hours in a week than people who work outside of their house.  When I was 30-36 weeks pregnant with my last child, I was babysitting 80-85 hours a week; that's like two full time jobs- that's probably why I had that baby at 36 weeks. Now I put in 30-50 hours a week and will all summer long, and have been since my youngest was 2 months old.

                Of course, I have plans and goals, and even dreams.  But those dreams are on hold till my children are a little older.  It would be a lot easier to have a job outside of the home when all of my kids are in school.  I could work while they are at school, so that is one plan I have. I have others too, but my main plan right now is take care of my responsibilities.    

                Maybe my way of life isn't for everyone, I understand that and respect that.  But to be fair others shouldn't judge each other.  Some people only have one kid, some have a houseful, some people have brown hair and some have blonde; but does any of that really matter or even any of your business?