I am a SAHM. That is the acronym for my job. I have been doing this for three years. I have expressed desire to start working again, and I am sure that will happen ... eventually. However, I now completely accept my current gig without reservation. I no longer feel the need to talk to others about future career plans. I no longer fear stigmatization or stereotyping. It has been a long time coming and I am pretty excited about it. After all, whenever I do start working for money again, I want to be able to look back on this moment and know that I enjoyed it 100%.
What is life like for a stay-at-home parent? It differs in each individual case. It varies based on the number of children and their respective ages. It varies widely based on what the spouse is like, if indeed thereis a spouse at all. Admittedly, it varies dramatically based on income level. Uniformity is no fun. As the French say, "vive la difference"! The key is to like what you are doing and take ownership of it.
My SAHM job goes a little something like this: I have two boys 19 months apart in age. The oldest is just shy of three years and the youngest is nearly sixteen months old. Both boys are active and healthy. They are now fully capable of moving most of our furniture. They are both able to open the fridge and pull out its contents. My husband and I have decided not to gate them in. I do a lot of running around. I chase them to feed them. I chase them to stop the floor lamp from breaking. Occasionally the clean up broken glass at warp speed. I change a lot of diapers. These are thethe unglamorous aspects of the job.
Now for the glamorous parts: my boys nap each afternoon for 2-3 hours. I have roughly 15 hours per week of childcare. I personally manage my own household. My husband gets home at 6:30 pm each night and we all have dinner together. My husband is a very involved father who is constantly supportive of me and the boys. I give a lot of love to my family and receive so much love in return. These gifts are incredibly luxurious and I do not take them for granted.
Mom
The naptime is hugely glamorous, allowing me a chance to read, write, meditate and catch up on whatever needs to be done. I never had a 2-3 hour break during my former jobs. Then again, I wasn't on duty from 6:30 am until 8:30 pm I still count it as a luxury.
My childcare provideris an enormous help and is now like a member of our family. She has known my youngest from birth and she calls us when she is not with us to check on our boys. I can trust her completely and she is a good friend. My children get to benefit from a third caregiver and all of the variety that she can bring to their upbringing. I don't know if I think "it takes a village", as Hillary Clinton says, but I am of the philosophy of "the more the merrier!" Sometimes I am able to spend time with one or another of my children while she takes the other one to do something fun. Other times I clean the entire house, or go to a doctor's appointment without two toddlers. It is a luxury that makes me a calmer, more centered mother. Additionally, my husband and I get a date night twice per month. I feellike someone in the MasterCard commercials: "Childcare? Priceless. "
How is it glamorous to personally manage one's household? Well, let's see: I get to choose what we eat, how it is cooked, what we wear, our standard of cleanliness and the routine of our days. I feel like that is a treat, but that's my perspective. I would rather pay for childcare than for a housekeeper, because I am picky about housework. I like to be able to walk barefoot on my floors and not feel any sand from the sandbox. I don't like dust on the ceiling fan blades. That is luxurious. I can't get that from a bi-weekly housekeeper, and probably not even from a weekly one. I also find cleaning to be an exercise in mindfulness. Buddhist monks and nuns and Catholic garden, clean and cook to gain a clearer mind and tobetter spiritual perspective. Mindfulness is a beautiful practice and housework, if done mindfully, can be quite therapeutic.
Having dinner together as a family on a regular basis is becoming old-fashioned, it would seem. I can't praise this practice enough. I look forward to dinner all afternoon. Our oldest tells mom and Dad what happened at pre-school, Dad tells us about work, and the one year old squeals to drown us out. Food gets thrown all over the floor and the mood is generally festive. The happiness of the boys is measurable as they have the attention of both parents. It is a wonderful ritual, and in our society, it is glamorous due to rarity.
Stay-at-home Parenting-The Glamorous SideRelated : Mens Antique Pocket Watches Best Regenerist Facial Wash Cleanser Portable Wireless USB Bluetooth Speaker System