On our tax return, my occupation is listed as “homemaker.” I loathe that title, even though that is exactly what I am. For me, it conjures up images of women from past generations, isolated at home with no ambition (then, opportunity) to make something of themselves. Like I can’t handle it out in the world so I’ll just stay home. (BTW, this is way more challenging than working in an office… for me anyway. And I think it’s way more important.)
I completely agree that there is still a stigma in society about being a SAHM. When I’m asked what I “do” and I answer, I usually hear some platitude about that being the hardest job there is and then… nada. The person doesn’t have anything else to say. Do they think I don’t follow current events, read books and magazines, or get involved in my community? I do have a life outside of my child, albeit a completely different one than in my pre-baby days. Just because I change diapers doesn’t mean I can’t change the world too.
I love this article on CNN today about being a stay-at-home mom. It talks about the benefits of being a SAHM today, working part-time from home, and about blogging too.
“In my pre-kid life, I never imagined that someday I’d be a stay-at-home mom — hey, I didn’t go to grad school to spend my days changing diapers. But when I held my first baby, Mathilda, I had a complete change of heart. As soon as we locked eyes, all those career and financial worries faded. They didn’t disappear, but they certainly became secondary.
… They all have something in common: a deep desire to be there for every moment of their babies’ lives — the good, the bad and the unbelievably messy.”
The article mentions some of the benefits of being home: a realistic schedule (except I also race to the computer as soon as naptime begins so I can catch up on blogs, e-mail, and pictures), time to smell the coffee (being in the moment and savoring the day with our babies, who grow up so fast), direct-access breastfeeding (I pumped at work for a few months — no fun), among others.
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“Plug “mom bloggers” into a search engine and you’ll come up with thousands of SAHMs who chronicle their daily lives online. Moms share stories and tips about single parenting, adoption, home schooling and more. “Mom bloggers are hugely influential because they represent the authentic voices of other moms,” says Jennifer James.”
I enjoy blogging and reading blogs because it connects me to other parents with days similar to mine. I feel less isolated and more a part of a giant force out there. Boy do I wish I’d found this community when my daughter was born.
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