I am a stay at home mom

I never thought I'd be a stay at home mom. I mean, I always wanted to be a mom, I remember as far back as elementary school the teachers asking me, "what do you wanna be when you grow up?" and my standard answer was always, "a mom". They would repeat the question in a different way as if I didn't understand, "no, what kind of job do you want?" and I would say again, " a mom".

That natural instinct for me grew into a strong desire as I grew older. Not until I had children, did I realize that staying home, and having children are like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They just belong together. I can not fathom long days away from my kids. I did it for a little while from the time Morgan was 7 weeks til he was 16 weeks and let's just say it was grueling and awful. 40+ hour work weeks with a little one at home was like having my limbs amputated when I was away.

Now that I have two, I understand that being a stay at home mom is a job like no other. There is no calling out sick when you're a stay at home mom. There are very few and far between vacations from being a stay at home mom (at least, for me). The pay is nothing, and yet, the job is priceless so I'm not sure what I'd ask for a salary anyways. A stay at home mom ends up becoming so much more than a mom I've realized! She becomes a cook, a house cleaner, an accountant, an events planner, a nurse, a gardener, and a warrior. Even in my egalitarian marriage, I still manage to have taken over the majority of previously listed roles.

So, it is these roles I will write about here. The things I do to improve my ability to parent, and the things I do to provide the very best for my children. One thing I've learned is that there is no "best" way to do things. I mean, each parent or set of parents does what is best for their family and all we can all do is our best. I also know that I've already made mistakes, and will continue to do so, but, my love and care for my children is never in vain. And so, as I am ever seeking information, guidance, mentorship, reassurance from the internet, other mothers, books, and my intuition, I realize that there is never enough out there. Because, we all do it different. We pick and choose based on all the information presented before us. My hope, is that my words, my experiences, my advice will help some moms make their choices. The human development is after all, a result of the many choices we make, and those made for us.