A Lesson Learned…. What Kind Of Mom Are You?

 

I have been a stay at home mom for 10 years. I worked all the way up to the day before our 1st child was born. My husband and I knew I would be quitting my job and starting this new job – motherhood / stay at home mom. It was a scary decision but I am glad that was the decision we made. As the years went by have gone by we have been blessed to have more children, now 5 and praying for God’s will for possibly one more. 

 

Being a stay at home mom is a big job.  We wear many hats (doctor – for all the scrapes, cuts and bruises, taxi driver – taking kids to appointments, play dates, activities, etc., teacher – I am a homeschool mom, cook – making my kids 3 meals a day and snacks in between – the list goes on and on.) If you are a stay at home mom you know what I mean.

kind of mom

Last week I learned a valuable lesson. Yes, being a stay at home mom is a hard job but a mom that works full time and has all the other mom responsibilities is even harder!  We decided to change up our homeschooling next year by doing Classical Conversations which I will post about soon.  We had a wonderful opportunity last week to go to Practicum which is like a homeschool convention for moms while the kids went into their camp classes where they learned Geography through drawing, Science through experiments, etc. It was for 3 days from 9 AM to 4 PM.  I admit these were long days for my family, we are not used to it. The classes were over a 1/2 hour away so that mean’t I needed to be prepared and organized. 

 

I know my comparison is not exactly the same as a real working mom but it showed me of what a working mom has to do, daily! I got a dose of what a working mom outside of the house looks like. I had to get up early enough to get ready myself, eat breakfast, packs the kids lunches and mine, make sure their backpacks had all their supplies in them they needed for the day, get the kids up and fed, dressed and out the door. Then once the classes were done come home fix dinner, bath kids, etc. I found it all exhausting! I could not imagine having to do this every day! 

backpacks

Working moms have to get kids picked up from school, maybe by sitting in carpool or bus lines. Then there is helping kids with homework, getting kids bathed, cooking dinner and all the other things working moms do! I do not know how you all do it! To all you working moms,  kuddos to you!

kids 4th

Even though I am a stay at home mom it is not all peaches and cream, it is a hard job too. My house looks like a mess most of the time, dishes are in the sick and laundry is piled up high but after this experience it makes me super thankful that not only do I have a schedule like a working mom but it made me realize how blessed I am that I get to spend so much time with my kids. They grow so fast, I would not want to miss a moment of it! 

 

Let’s face it motherhood is a hard job overall but very rewarding!  Are you a working mom or stay at home mom and what do you find the most challenging? 

 

 


Comments

  1. I’ve done both. I worked at home while my daughter was a baby – going back to work when she was 5 weeks old. When my son was born I stayed home for about a year and a half. Both have challenges of their own.

  2. I’ve always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. Superwomen, as far as I’m concerned!

  3. Mom’s are super heroes in my opinion!! Work at home or stay at home all moms have a ton of their plate and a lot going on in their lives.

  4. I’m like you, a stay at home – home educating mom – I happen to think we have it the easiest! we set our own schedules and are super laid back. I think working away from home and getting everyone where they need to be – on time – it tough!

  5. Having been both it is so hard to do both!! Both have things that make it hard to balance as a mom.

  6. Interesting read! Thanks for giving the kudos to working moms as they do work very hard as well. It’s never easy. We have 2 girls (3 and 1) and there is no stopping, or you are behind. Mornings are especially tough as we each have a 30+ minute commute to our day jobs. Having everything ready takes planning and organization, but after you get into the routine, it’s not as bad. Thanks for showing the differences! Stay at home mom’s do bring a ton of value to the household as well too!

  7. I’m a work at home mom, so I juggle between doing the chores, preparing food and my online work.

  8. I am a work at home mom so I have a little mixture of both! I love being available for my kids but at the same time, it really takes a lot of juggling to make everything come together right.

  9. I was a working outside of the house mom for years and it was not too hard because I had REALLY good hours. I’d get home 30 minutes after the kids got out of school. I work at home now and it is hard and stressful. I could not imagine working until late and getting home in the evening only to see my kids for 2 hours before bed.

  10. I survived being a full time working mom and now I’m a stay at home grandma which I enjoy much more. I missed a lot of things in my kids lives by working the long hours I had to at the doctors office/hospital/nursing home so I’m thankful for the chance to watch my grandkids grow and learn.

  11. Robin (Masshole Mommy) says:

    Being a parent is the hardest job in the world, but it’s the BEST! I would never change a thing.

  12. I wouldn’t change being a stay at home mom for anything. I’m so thankful I get to. My mom was a working mom, and I wish she had stayed home. The little time I feel like I had with her wasn’t enough!

    • Robin (Masshole Mommy) says:

      Me neither. My mom worked when I was a kid, too, and I didn’t see enough of her back when I was little.

  13. I only worked one day with my daughter. I am home but blogging is work so I guess I am a working mom.

  14. I grew up with a SAHM. She was superwoman in my book. I think both SAHM and working moms have their place. There’s advantages and disadvantages to both. Currently my wife is a SAHM. When the kids get older we will re-evaluate that.

  15. I have done both and I think staying at home with the kids is so much more hectic than when I worked. Although when I worked, there was only 1 child and now we have 3.

  16. You are not lying! Being a mom is a lot of work, but its the best reward at the same time. My 4 kids have food allergies and asthma its stressful at times, but I love how it opened my eyes to what we put into our bodies. We are healthier now than we were before.

  17. I babysit, but since my husband passed away, I don’t work outside of the home. I only worked in preschool for a few years after my kids got older. Now I am mainly home except when I’m watching the kids I babysit for.

  18. I know that both are full of challenges. I think you have to pick the path that is best for your family and you. It’s even harder when you’re not fully committed to your choice.

  19. Stephanie says:

    Each type of Mom has good days and not so good days! And there are pros and cons to each decision. Hard to choose sometimes.

  20. Debbie Denny says:

    I have done may things and wore many hats. Most important one I wear now it granny the spoil the grandkids hat.

  21. I was a working mom for a while, but when my daughter got sick I had to stay at home with her. Being a SAHM and a working mom both have their own challenges!

  22. I wish more dads had all our responsibilities for longer periods than just a day or 2 at a time because then they might realize just how challenging it truly is. Many stay-at-home moms are looked down on because people seem to think they do nothing during the day, but when you’re working too, it all really wears you out!

  23. Both jobs are super scary and hard and also rewarding and fulfilling. I’m sure you are happy you decided to stay at home .. Fingers crossed there will be a Blog Post about #6 really soon

  24. I stopping working as a teacher when I got pregnant with my daughter. I love that I get to be home with her and appreciate my husband for working hard so that I can stay home.

  25. I love being a stay at home Mom and hope that I con continue to do it as my children get older. I am hoping and praying for one more too. It would be so nice to have a girl although boys are energetic blessings too. I wrote a post of encouragement for all the stay-at-home parents because it is a hard job and we all need a little encouragement.

  26. Great post! I am both. I stayed at home for about 10 years and had to go back substitute teaching. I’ve had long-term sub jobs, so I’ve worked every day of the school year. It’s very hard to work and still be expected to do everything I would do if I was at home. I am so exhausted all the time. Yet, I’m home for the summer, and I still am having a hard time doing everything since I’m trying to catch up on lots of things. So, like you said, either way, being a mom is hard, but rewarding.

  27. They both do have their challenges and I would never ever say one is more rewarding or stressful than the other. We all make our choices that work for us and we just need to support each other with those choices. Great post!

  28. I am that working mom and in the summer that stay at home mom. Both are equally tough for very different reasons

  29. Agreed – ALL moms have so much to balance. I too, worked outside the home as a teacher for the first 5 years of my first-born’s life. The challenges are many, but if you keep a strict schedule, everything gets done. The issue I faced was being hyper-critical of my DD’s caregivers during the time when I was working. I realized I didn’t like other people raising my child for most of her waking hours. It took great introspection, inner focus and financial planning from my DH’s and myself to analyze what we could do for income if I began staying home when our 2nd was born. It was a financial, emotional, psychological and relational struggle (not to mention the physical demands of being a WAHM!), but I think we’re finally in a place of equilibrium. And best of all? I’m confident no one in my family would trade our arrangement for the world. 🙂

  30. It was interesting to read about the kind if mom you are. I liked that you shared your story withiut disrespecting other parenting choiced.

  31. Jennifer Williams says:

    I would love to learn about more would love to learn more about these homeschool events as we also homeschool. I am not saying one is easier than the other but was a working mom for years before I became a stay at home homeschooling mom and I had far less stress and more me time when I worked. I was completely overwhelmed when I decided to stay home because there are no 15 minute breaks or lunch hours. I work harder now that I am home then I ever did when I was working!

  32. Right now the most challenging is not bribing. But I am loving everything about being a mom!

  33. I liked being a stay-at-home mom. That time with my youngest (whom I was fortunate enough to get that with) was priceless.

  34. I always admire SAHM and their endless dedication to their families…I still have to work but trying my best to be a better and better mom..always 🙂

  35. I was a single mom so I had to work but I tried to work on opposite hours when my daughter was little I worked nights so I could be home all day with her.

  36. I’m a working mom, but since I’m a teacher I get to be home with my kids for most of the summer. That’s a great time for us to kick back and relax. Now that my kids are a little older (5 and 11) they are responsible for organizing their own backpacks, lunches, etc. which really helps.

  37. I have been a stay at home mom as well as a working mom and I have to say that one is no easier or no more difficult than the other. I am more happy to stay at home however there are times that I do miss working.

  38. Both working moms and SAHM are spectacular! There are pros and cons to both and its a decision that has to be made as a family-there’s no one right answer, and the answer may change as situations change. I believe in supporting ALL moms! <3

  39. I am a stay at home mom who NEVER and I mean NEVER seems to be able to have a day just one day would be nice to be at home all day. ok rant over lol guess you know what bugs me now huh lol

  40. It does sound pretty exhausting but it seems rewarding too! Mom’s that are working or going to school while raising kids are certainly juggling a lot!

  41. I’ve always been a Working Mom but I did take nine months off after our youngest son was born. Being a mom is hard work whether you stay home or work outside the home.

  42. I am a work at home mom. Being a WAHM is bit hard to manage. It has both advantages and dis-advantages. But honestly it is stress free when you compare with working out side.

  43. Being a mom is hard, no matter if you work, stay home or work from home. I work full-time from home, which presents it’s own unique challenges. The key is for each mom to pick what works for them.

  44. I’m a stay-at-home-dad (SAHD?) and I look forward to seeing them get off the bus. Life it too short to miss the family stuff.

  45. I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 22 years. I have ten kids and my youngest is now two years old (and we have one more due at the end of November) Being that we have so many children, I cannot even imagine holding down another job outside of the home. My days are SO busy around here! But sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be with adults most of my day instead of little ones, to be able to take breaks and lunch with adults, to have weekends “off” and not have to do my job on weekends. I feel like a stay-at-home mom is never “off” and we don’t ever get “vacation” or “sick days” — but still. If I had to do it over again, I’d choose to be a stay-at-home mom again. I love what I do and who I spend my days with 🙂

  46. I can’t imagine being a mom of 10, but of course as a working mother, there are no weekends off, vacati9n or sick days either, just from day jobs. The mother part doesn’t turn off for a working mother anymore than it does for a stay at home mother! I guess the main benefit of being a working mother is variety, work activities 9-5, patenting the rest of the time.

  47. I am a work-at-home mom and sometimes it’s still hard to balance between work and family time. I try my best to stay on a schedule so nothing is neglected.

  48. Both here and both are so hard! It’s hard sometimes to find the balance! Kids are a lot of work!

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