For All the Stay at Home Moms and Dads

So I am a stay at home mom. I have my own photography business and I work on that throughout the year but the winter months tend to be slow.

This morning one of my kids didn’t want to go to school and she said she was sick. She didn’t act sick and had no symptoms up until I told her to get ready for the bus.

And that’s when it started, the eye rolling, the sighing and even the ‘I hate yous.’ Big deal. 🙄 All of that makes me feel bad but it’s survivable.

Then as we are walking to the bus stop, she said the mother of all hurtful things to me… ‘I know why you don’t want me to stay home! You just want to sleep all day and cuddle with the dog.’

Now I am not opposed to letting my kids see me cry. I think it is important to show them that I am human and have emotions just like they do but this morning, I couldn’t even look at her. For some reason that comment just cut me to my core and it really hurt my feelings.

Don’t get me wrong… I love a good nap but it isn’t what I do all day long. God, I clean the house and uber their ass everywhere and I will be making dinners for this family until the day I die. And even then they would probably peak into my casket and ask me what I’m making for dinner. 🙄

The reason why it hurt me so much is that I don’t feel seen. I feel inadequate because I don’t make money for the family and I see myself as lazy because I don’t have a job.

But through therapy, a lot of therapy, I am learning that what I do is just as important as what my husband does just in a different way. I am a vital part of the household and without me (or either parent, in fact), the house would fall apart.

So stay at home parents,

I see you being a chef.

I see you being the uber driver.

I see you being a nurse.

I see you being a therapist.

I see you being a teacher.

I see you being a maid.

I see you being a dry cleaner.

I see you being the entertainment.

I see you being there when they come home.

I see you being the school coordinator.

I see you being the keeper of the family calendar.

I see you being your kids receptionist.

I see you being a hairstylist.

I see you being a fashion designer.

I see you being your kids events coordinator.

I see you being a personal shopper.

I see you even if no one else does. I do. You are doing a great job and you are doing it for free and because you love your kids. Even if it’s only sometimes. Lol.

Until next time,

If you did pay me, you couldn’t afford me.