Someone once needed to drop something off to me and asked “what time works for you?” I responded with “anytime, I’ll be home all day.”
The comment back shocked me, they said “gosh I wish I was a stay at home mom so I had all the time do anything.” That was 3 years ago and I have never forgotten those words.
So let me tell you what I do with my time all day.
I breastfeed my second on demand all day. Thats 109,500 mins a year (but most likely more). I breastfed my first until 3 so that’s approximately 328,500 (who yes I continued to breastfeed on demand the whole time) and approximately 164,250 with my second so far (taking only a 3 month break in between).
I change diapers all day sometimes multiple times an hour. I do loads of laundry, dishes, pick up toys about 100 times a day, heal ouies with a kiss, bounce a crying baby, play dress up with a wild toddler, figure out how to make teething more comfortable, cook breakfast lunch and dinner, teach colors, numbers, letters, shapes, and words, rub backs, and take care of sick children even when I’m sick.
I read about 50 books a day and help paint a multitude of pictures.
I rarely sit to eat, have a break to watch tv, or simply go to the bathroom alone let alone take a shower.
I’m a cook, a cleaner, teacher, “doctor”, a healer, comforter, lullaby singer, mother, and wife. I have no sick days, no time off, and barely any alone time.
Yes it’s exhausting and yes it’s a lot of “work” but I know for me, and I think for most, wouldn’t change it for a second.
Because in all the chaos and piles of laundry there are millions of moments that fulfill me more then I could ever dream. There is joy in the chaos and love in the mess.
It is hard for all mothers whether working or stay at home.
One is not better then the other and one is not harder then the other. Working or stay at home, we are all mothers working 24/7. So let’s stop assuming what a mother’s day is like and praise every mother for all the work that they do.
Someone once needed to drop something off to me and asked “what time works for you?” I responded with “anytime, I’ll be…
Posted by Melissa Nause Ostroth on Friday, May 3, 2019
“There is joy in the chaos and love in the mess.” This sentence is my favourite part of this article, and describes my life as a stay-at-home mom to three daughters to a tee. I’m going to remind myself of this when I have those moments where I both yearn for the days when they were babies, and find myself wishing they were more independent. Very well written.