The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

There are many challenges and blessings that come with staying home to care for your kids.
Many women, even in this day and age of "progression" face the wrath of friends and family who think staying at home is not what a modern day woman should be doing with her time. What good was the women's movement if it meant women should only work outside the home? That's just as oppressive as making all women stay home. Liberation is just that: freedom to decide for one's self.

**Fletcher getting dirty and playing with tools**

Then there is the entire living on one income challenge. Families really sacrifice and budget to keep mom at home, although I think most moms at home would agree that it is well worth it!

Of course there is the lack of adult conversation and the lack of personal time. Women have conquered that challenge with play dates, girls' nights out, and structured naptimes for the kids. I think date nights with a spouse lighten this load as well.

There is one thing about choosing to stay home and raise my kids that really gets me. It gets me good.

                                 ****Rose learning to bake brownies from scratch****

It always leaves me frustrated and scratching me head. Always.
I am referring to those many, many times I have had to make a phone call to say the mortgage company or the phone company...something like that.
I am always told "Sorry, we can only discuss this account with the person on the account."
Translation: they want to speak with my husband.
Do they not know that I am the person handling all of these papers and bills? I am the designated secretary of the house??

Now, I have my name listed on almost everything along with my sweet man but occasionally we have had to purchase in his name only.
You know why? I have no credit.

Sure I have a couple of store cards that I purchase with and pay off at month's end. That is supposedly supposed to help but you know what? It doesn't.

I have "no job."

Then there are those letters you periodically get from the Social Security office that really points out your worth (at least in the Us Governments' eyes). It lists your income and your spouses income since forever ago. Then it tells how much you will supposedly get back one day.
My column is nothing but a bunch of zeros. Nothing, Nada.

I have "no paychecks."

This is when you realize that staying home raising children and educating children is not a job in the eyes of the world. This is true also in the eyes of many people in the world.

This is when you decide to tell the world you don't care what they think or what they don't see.

This is when you scrub your house, mend clothes, prepare meals, budget the groceries and accept the fact that you may never get what the world thinks is worth getting.

But that's okay.

You are very important, crucial in fact. You are raising the next generation and that is not a job just anyone can do. That is not a task for the faint of heart.
That is a task, a job, only a strong, focused, and compassionate woman can endure.

That is a calling worth more than all the paychecks and credit scores in the world.

If you are ever in doubt, drop me an email and I will explain to you again how important you are as a stay at home mom or a home school mom.

A friend of mine always says the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

I tend to agree:-)

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Circle of Moms has nominated me to the Top 25 Moms with Large Families.

I would love to boast their badge on my blog in 2013. Will you please hop over and vote for me?
Voting ends in 9 days.