Isn't it strange how society has come to such a turn around? Don't misunderstand what I'm saying, I am very thankful for the womens rights movement before my time and all that it has done for me today...but at what point did a women become less of a valuable member of society, less of a person, when she made the decision to stay at home with her children? Since when is raising the future generations of the world an invaluable thing to do with ones life? We give teachers, loving daycare providers, and nannies loads of respect for doing what they do. But as stay at home moms, do we not play parts of all of those roles? What...is it the lack of money that makes being a stay at home mom less respectable than working full time at a daycare center or a school? Money isn't everything, and frankly, being a stay at home mom is a responsible financial decision for many of us.
I chose to be at stay at home mom. Actually, let me clarify; our family, all of us, decided that I should be here with the kids. Being a stay at home mom doesn't mean sitting around smiling at your child and playing games all day. It means managing a household. It means running all of the errands, handling all of (or most of) the finances, doing the shopping, planning everyones appointments, making sure everything is scheduled, cleaning, cooking, and keeping home a home. Making the home a place that isn't filled with stress, rather, relaxation and happiness. But the most important parts of being a stay at home mom are being there for all of the little moments. The giggles and laughs, the first steps, the first words...all of it. I am so very blessed to know that I will witness these moments with my children, not someone else. I am so blessed that my son knows that every night I will tuck him into bed and I will pick him up in the morning. He knows that he can always rely on his mommy. I wouldn't change that for anything.
This quote has been very popular for a while now, and it was said by Lady Gaga.
"Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesnt love you anymore."
While I see a lot of wisdom in this quote, it also rubs me wrong in so many ways. I feel as if we, as women, have started scrutinizing ourselves too much when it comes to our careers. A career is a wonderful thing, and I have no problem whatsoever with working moms, and working women. In fact, that's great. However, I feel like as women we have started to put career above all else including family. This quote makes it seem like a women can't have a man (aka, a husband) and follow her dreams. The key part here is finding the right man. The type of man who is husband material and will be there to support your dreams, whether they be owning your own medical practice, or raising children. Let's be straight here, and I think that both stay at home moms and working moms can agree; You're career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn't love you anymore, but it also won't wake up and tell you that it loves you and that it's glad that you chose it. As women we have the ability to "have it all". Just because you do or do not want a career, doesn't mean that having a family can't be important to. It can be.
My point is, I'm proud to do what I do everyday, and I don't feel shamed by society at all. I know that what I do is just as important as what lots of working people do. I know that I made the right choice for my family, and mostly that I am happy and fulfilled, and no one can convince me any differently.
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