by Bridget ♥
Member since:
September 18, 2006

Stay at Home Moms are LAZY!!!!!

October 21, 2008 10:31 AM EDT (Updated: October 21, 2008 11:33 AM EDT)
views: 1051 | comments: 110

I have heard people say, "OH you're a stay at home mom, that must be nice" and "Wow, you don't work" or "Stay at home moms watch TV all day" and the list goes on and on.

It's obvious to me that those people have no clue what being a stay at home mom is really like.  And I find it amazing that many people who say those idiotic things don't even have kids!

Along with doing laundry, putting laundry away, checking the mail, putting dishes away and all the other things you have to do on a daily basis to keep your house in order.  Not to mention playing with the kids, teaching them life lessons and kissing their owies.  Plus, we have 3 large dogs! :)

Today, my day started at 5:30 in the morning when I get up to make hubby's coffee and lunch.

Then I have to wake up Chandler at 7:00 and get him ready for school.  Will let Stephy sleep in until 8:00 unless she wakes up on her own.  Out the door at 8:10 to take Chandler to school.

Then back home to feed Stephy breakfast and get her ready for the day.  Unload the dishwasher and take meat out for dinner.

Stephy has storytime at 10:30 that lasts until 11:00.  We always go out to lunch with her best friend and her mom after storytime, it's a weekly ritual.

After lunch, I have to go to Costco and pick up a few things that I forgot when we were there over the weekend! UGH!!

Have to pick up Chandler from school at 3:00.  We will come home so he can do his homework and then get ready for wrestling practice which starts at 5:30 and gets over at 6:30.

I will feed the kids an early dinner, 4:30, so they are fed before wrestling practice.

Hubby will be home around 5:00 and we will leave at 5:15 for wrestling practice. After practice we will head straight home.  Because my friend will be at the house at 6:45 to that we can get to the PTO meeting at 7:00.

 

So, for those of you who think being a Stay at Home Mom means doing nothing all day - THINK AGAIN!  Being a MOM means that you are on call 24/7!!!  Beaing a "SAHM" is a tough job but well worth every minute!  Not only is it tough but it's the most rewarding!!!!

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Comments: 110

☃ Aunt Shanny Oct 21, 2008, 10:33am EDT
Whatever. My mom never worked outside the home.

Being a mom is the hardest job in the world.
Vic Needs Coffee Oct 21, 2008, 10:33am EDT
Some people are clueless. Don't let them get to you.
kara t Oct 21, 2008, 10:35am EDT
I admit it's a lot funner than working, though!
mary bryant Oct 21, 2008, 10:39am EDT
My days and nights were non ending.
Denise C. Oct 21, 2008, 10:40am EDT
I was very jealous of my best friend when she had her first baby and she got to stay home. Now that I stay home, I realize how hard it is. This is the toughest job I've ever had.
Abby N. Oct 21, 2008, 10:41am EDT
A mother's work is never done!
Abby N. Oct 21, 2008, 10:41am EDT
Ten for you!
Pamela O. Oct 21, 2008, 10:41am EDT
Hmm, I have only one dog and 4 cats, and I never get a moment's rest! I cannot imagine having a child - talk about being busy! Don't worry Bridget, its not just stay at home mom's that get called lazy. I work from home and am called lazy all the time - oh how great it must be to stay home all day and do this and that.... RIGHT. {{{HUGS}}} Stay at home moms deserve great respect for all they do!
Brad D. Oct 21, 2008, 10:41am EDT
Originally, I was against my wife staying home, thinking that she would be home all day eating bon-bons while I worked all day.

Now I understand that it's a very different story, and I'm glad that she's home.
Alex In Wonderland Oct 21, 2008, 10:43am EDT
I have always been treated like crap by the people who don't stay home. They are like, "must be nice to play on the computer all day." and stupid crap like that. I usually fire back with retorts like, "it must be nice to be single and only have your kids part time" or "must be nice to be on call 24/7 and deal with sick kids (sometimes while you are sick too) and be up all night with crying or throwing up and still have to wake up in time to get your kids to school, get the grocery shopping done and make dinner."
Alex In Wonderland Oct 21, 2008, 10:45am EDT
"NOT"..forgot to add the "NOT"...
Must be nice to NOT be on call...
♠~Dnbuster~♠ ~. Oct 21, 2008, 10:45am EDT
some folks... 10 4 ya
Alex In Wonderland Oct 21, 2008, 10:46am EDT
And I don't really mean that first one- I would be miserable if I was single and shared custody and spent days without my kids. But when they hit a soft spot with me I have to hit back hard. I don't like being spoken down to and that is what it feels like.
Julia Star Oct 21, 2008, 10:47am EDT
It is nice to be a stay at home Mom. Many view it as a luxury they can't afford. Do what you want and don't worry about what anybody else thinks if it makes you happy and you aren't hurting anyone. You don't need anyone else's permission. Just as some working Moms cop an attitude, some stay at home Moms do as well. Moms should not be pitting themselves against each other. There is more than one viable way to raise a child.
Martha R. Oct 21, 2008, 10:49am EDT
chaseing a 3 year old around the house is hard work.
I know I do it everyday, plus cooking and cleaning and finding hubbys cloths for him when he cant find them and they are right in front of his eyes.
Great post.... Ten Stars.
Wilma D. Oct 21, 2008, 10:52am EDT
Of course doing most of this and working outside the home is no picnic either. We need to respect each other's choices. But I agree, I'd much rather work outside than be a SAHM again. I love my kids but that was a very stressful time.
Sue * Oct 21, 2008, 10:54am EDT
I was a SAHM, and then I was a working mom...staying home was actually harder. You not only have to deal with the constant demands of the kids, you also have to deal with the isolation and the lack of respect from others. Now I'm a stay at home with no kids, and believe me...people just look at you like you should be "at work." I still fight the isolation thing in the winter, and I miss working-but, it just doesn't fit into our life right now with one of our kids and my parents living so far away. We want to be free to visit more than once a year. As for being "lucky" to be able to stay home, you have to sacrifice other things to afford it. We did when the kids were small, and we are doing it again. It is really all about choices, and women aren't very good at supporting each other's choices, sad to say.
Suze P. Oct 21, 2008, 10:54am EDT
i'm not a mom, but there are 5 dogs in my house, and they keep me pretty busy..let them in, let them out, clean up everything they pulled out of the trash, sweep the dirt they tracked in.. for the 5th time in a day.. mop the mud.. vacuum the piles of dog hair...LOL I can imagine it's 10 times harder with kids.. being a SAHM is not easy, and those who think it is are crazy. But, then again, it is probably also 10 times more rewarding than working an outside job..way more fun at times.. and far more important than being able to earn a paycheck for what you do. :O)
Brittney R. Oct 21, 2008, 10:54am EDT
While I do actually know of some people who abuse the privilage of being able to stay home, I know there are also people in the work force who are much lazier than the majority of SAHMs.

I only worked PT and was considered a SAHM for the first nine months after my son was born. As it is right now, I need to work, but I know what it was like with a baby. I can't imagine TWO to care for.
Heather C. Oct 21, 2008, 10:57am EDT
Bridget, it's always easy for other people to put another down. What you are doing is great and it IS hard work. I did both when my kids were younger. My daughter is now 14 and goes to school at 6:45 and gets home at 4:45. People are always telling us that we need to get out and get a job. We have came up on an opportunity to be able to do this the way we are, and we are fine with it. We can pay our bills and don't have to take handouts or rely on anyone else. You stay home with your kids and phooey on them!
Joseph H. Oct 21, 2008, 10:59am EDT
my wife is a SAHM and she works her butt off. I read something in the news recently that if you paid a SAHM the current wages to hire help to do what they do, their salary would be over 100K/year. anyone who says it's easy has no idea what they are talking about.

I do think we are all lucky that she can stay home. I think it's best for the kids. I'd rather have a parent raising them than a child care center. They are learning so much more with her than they would in day care. And they have a much stronger bond with their mom this way.
Amy S. Oct 21, 2008, 11:03am EDT
i agree with you. being home is a hard job. there are no sick days or vacation time. your job is there 24/7. i love being able to stay at home. we have definitely sacrificed for me to be here but it has been worth it.
j - Frugal Mom - r. Oct 21, 2008, 11:09am EDT
I've done both, and both are hard, but at this point in my children's lives I prefer to be a stay-at-home mom.
Maria W. Oct 21, 2008, 11:10am EDT
Being a stay at home mom is the hardest and most fullfilling job i ever had.
I just put a post in showing the never ending job of a Mom. Check it out
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977484422&nav=MyGather
Doyle ( IS SOOO 7 for 7 soon... ) C. Oct 21, 2008, 11:11am EDT
Like any job, there are some that stay at home working very hard and some that don't. Anyone serious about doing that kind of work and who also takes pride in their work will be working harder than most people realize.

The only concern I would have would be what happens to the hard-working stay at home mom after 10, 15, 20 years if, God forbid, something should happen to hubby? Be it death or divorce...SAHM is going to be forced to find marketable skills and start very low on the economic ladder. If SAHM finds herself in an abusive relationship, she'll lack the key defense of economic stability and self-security. There are psychological issues as well...as the article points out...when people ask each other "What do you do for a living?" some DO think SAHM is the same thing as answering "nothing"....but SAHM will think they are thinking that even when it's not said.

So there are a lot of issues to consider. I'd suspect the marital relationship should be considered first. But, nobody ever thinks they'll be the ones divorced or abused or widowed...that always happens to the "other" guy!

If it works for people, more power to them. But it is work when done right and it is coming at a cost.

Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
Jennifer N. Oct 21, 2008, 11:13am EDT
Here, here! You tell them Bridget! I get sick of hearing that, too. A regular job ends after 8 hours SAHM/WAHM's are working 24 hours a day!

Even now that Gideon's in school I'm still finding not enough hours in the day for housework and things like preparing for Gideon's birthday, and so on.
Pamela K. Oct 21, 2008, 11:16am EDT
I think that being a Mom period is a 24/7 job- I work out of the home and still have to do the housework, cook meals, laundry, mail and the list goes on. About the only thing that I do not do on a regular basis is cut that grass. When the kids are sick or need to go to an appointment, I need to take time off of work - so that is my vacation - but then that is my choice. My day starts at 4:30 am and usually does not end until after 11pm. So that gives me a little over 5 hours of sleep a night if I am lucky and the kids stay in bed. Would I want to stay at home with my kids, yes. But unfortunately it is not the cards I was dealt.
Alicia Burch Oct 21, 2008, 11:24am EDT
yep , made coffee for hubby, prepared tests for the kids, got the rest of their schoolwork ready, working on breakfast, presently trying to read posts with a 2 yr old jumping on my back in the computer chair and making me lose my place, listening to mom what are you cooking, slight break in reading to teach my son that hollow is not spelled hallo, after breakfast schoolwork should just about be finished, then i will go exercise and remember to get the meat out of freezer for supper tonight, shower, then cut up peppers from my garden and get them canned, and the list goes on without end................ My hubby has been out of work for a few weeks and he tells me all the time I dont see how you stand it!! He says he would go crazy!! The rewards are great , its just sometimes you dont see them immediately!! Progression is one step at a time!!! Thankful for my blessings and proud to be a SAHM!! Way to go to you as well!!
Alicia Burch Oct 21, 2008, 11:25am EDT
oh and our skills are limitless!!!
Denise B. Oct 21, 2008, 11:25am EDT
I know exactly what you are talking about. No one has been that rude to me in a long time but I remember what it was like.
I am a MOM first and formost. there are NO sick days, no vacations, no time outs. I can't take an hour for lunch with friends nor can I leave work early. MOM's are on call 24/7/365 no other job in the world requires that.
I don't care if you work or not if your a mom it is a job all of it's own.
Ryan M. Oct 21, 2008, 11:37am EDT
I would not want to be a stay at home dad. It would drive me nuts. Even if I were to win a Million I would continue to work at my job. It is hard being a stay at home parent.
Janet "Jax" B. Oct 21, 2008, 11:54am EDT
You bet Denise...I take kids to school...I have to pick up Pher at 1:30 when he's finished with school...help with homework...etc, etc... no one understands that....

I still get the rude thing sometimes, but oh well....I ignore alot of it now.
April H. Oct 21, 2008, 11:56am EDT
Not to mention you can never call in sick!
Tricia C. Oct 21, 2008, 11:57am EDT
I am a SAHM but there are many things that come with being a stay at home mom... making sure the kids are to appointments on time, house is in order.. everyoen has what they need... ok.. so working moms do a lot of that too, but stay at home moms have more of a routine and if you have special needs kids like i do... routine is very important not to mention the teaching and nurtering we do that is left to another person wile they are at owrk.. not that they dont do some of those things.. but when you work, someone else is pushing their values and ideas on them ...
Tina (a slightly smaller Spanky) B. Oct 21, 2008, 12:01pm EDT
What Doyle said. Just like working outside the home, there are good points and bad points, but I would never consider putting down a SAHM for the ability to do so, and the opportunity. There are times when I regret going to work and not being a SAHM. At the same time, I personally don't think I'd have survived. But then, I was lucky enough to be able to take my daughter to work with me during the first few years of her life before school, and had a great support system throughout her childhood.
Melissa J Oct 21, 2008, 12:01pm EDT
I hear you Bridget Jean. I am a SAHM right now and I can't wait till all my kids go to school all day so I can get a job outside of the home. This is the hardest job I have ever had. Although it's worth every minute, it's hard and stressful. :o)

Here's a 10, thanks for posting at Up All Nite Café.
flit . Oct 21, 2008, 12:23pm EDT
I couldn't have done it... my kids drive me nuts at the best of times! Being home with them all day every day when they were young would have been a disaster!
Priscilla (wishing I was in Costa Rica) ~. Oct 21, 2008, 12:36pm EDT
Being a Mom is hard work! I wish I could stay-at-home & take care of my daughter, it would be so much better for her.
CyberGwen ! Oct 21, 2008, 12:39pm EDT
I stay at home without kids and trust me, I know that you are busy. There is always something to do and except for being on the PC, there is really no down time. I am always doing something related to keeping the house up, cooking, decorating, etc. If we had kids, I know that I would be crazy busy.

I bet that the rewards are priceless.

I have even more of a problem when people ask what I do. Try justifying that you are a stay at home girlfriend, not mom! (I am always here for his almost adult daughter though) The important thing to remember is that it works for you and your family.
I just got into an argument about this on a yahoo board. What kills me, is the woman who said it IS a stay at home mom, and she was making reference to another person she knows who is also a SAHM. Apparently, that woman doesn't do any cooking- she lets her husband bring home take out just about every night, or fend for themselves. She made a snide comment about wondering just what all she does do if she can't even cook. Her basic theory was that the mom sits at home, the least she can do is make sure her husband, who works 8 hours a day, can come home and relax.

I jumped right in because in our family, Nick does a lot of the cooking, or we do take out, but I tend to help with it. I pointed out just what all I am in charge of though, and how we do both do a lot of stuff around the house together. I explained that while being a SAHM might not be a paid position, it's also one that goes from the moment you wake up until you go to bed, and that there is a lot of hard work involved.

I pointed out that SAHM's are also secretaries, taxi services, nurses, accountants, chefs, bakers, maids, a seamstress, a hair dresser, a personal shopper, and much, much more.

Then, because she IS a SAHM, she took offense to ME taking offense to her basically calling SAHM's who don't cook every meal lazy. She got all ticked off because apparently, she's a single mom, and doesn't get tag team relief.

Well, I'm sorry she doesn't, but why does that make mom's who DO lazy?
Jenny D. Oct 21, 2008, 1:15pm EDT
Thanks for posting this! Most people have no clue what us stay at home moms go through each day.
Veronica Hosking Oct 21, 2008, 1:17pm EDT
Hey I watch TV all day! LOL, Who has the time? Of course the housework only gets done when I have nothing to write about or I have a deadline. When a deadline is looming, writing tends to be put off.
Diana B. Oct 21, 2008, 1:19pm EDT
Some people nowdays have NO concept of anything, I swear! I get that from a lot of people stating it must be nice not having to work, but when I tell them all the things I do not to mention the fact I do work outside of the home 4 1/2 months out of the year, all the while still taking care of my family and the household, they just stand there completely speechless. On the other hand, it is those SAHM who have nothing better to do with their time and constantly complain about the fact they take care of the kids and go out and spend their husband's money that gives a bad name to SAHM who are the complete opposite from those lazy wives.
Larry H. Oct 21, 2008, 1:23pm EDT
COULD GET A AUTOMATIC COFFEE MAKER, PACK YOUR HUSBANDS LUNCH THE NIGHT BEFORE THEN YOU COULD SLEEP UNTIL YOU HAD TO GET THE KIDS UP. MY WIFE USE TO GET UP WHEN WE FIRST GOT MARRIED, I NEVER ATE BREAKFAST, PACKED MY LUNCH THE NIGHT BEFORE OR WOULD GET SOMETHING AT WORK. SHE WORKED HARD CLEANING THE HOUSE ECT. DIDN'T NEED TO GET UP FOR ME. DID THAT FOR 37 YEARS UNTIL I RETIRED... i KNOW YOU ENJOY GETTING UP WITH HIM IN THE MORNING.. :)
Carla B. Oct 21, 2008, 2:04pm EDT
I hear that a lot, too. It's pretty annoying. My sister who has kids said she would get too bored being a stay at home mom, once she got some rearranging done at her house. She said that when I first stopped working to stay at home with Elliott, so her kids were 6 and 2. I just wondered what exactly she thinks the little one does at daycare all day? My son is 2.5 now, and if he's awake, he's MOVING! I don't ever leave him alone where I can't see him, unless he's playing in his bedroom with his door closed. Cooking and cleaning are endless tasks at my house. My husband actually does a lot of the cleaning, too.

People also say I'm not really working when I'm working. I do a few freelance articles a year for a local publication. I also do stuff online to earn money for the extra things we want or need, and to help pay off my student loans. I consider it working. By the time you add up the income from online stuff and the money I bring in on an average month from freelancing, it's more than a lot of working moms bring home, after they pay for daycare anyway.
Amanda C. Oct 21, 2008, 2:31pm EDT
Those people need to spend 1 day as a stay at home parent and they would change their tune real fast!!!

It makes me so mad when people look at sahm's as if they do nothing at all, all day long and as if they have it made with the easiest job in the world. It may be the greatest job in the world but it is nowhere close to the easiest...
Cecilia Lyne Oct 21, 2008, 3:07pm EDT
Being a mom is totally under appericated.
Jill~Sexy Back~ V. Oct 21, 2008, 3:49pm EDT
Yep, I hear that crap all the time too and it pisses me off! I was a working mom up until about a year and a half ago. I worked 80+ hours per week and owned my own business. I thought that was hard, but once I gave it all up to stay at home, I realized that STAYING HOME is HARDER!

My son's almost 4 years old and I'm pregnant. I cook 21 family meals per week, plus I make 14 snacks a week. I am the only one who cleans, I'm the only one who cooks, and I'm the only one who does all the shopping and errand running, plus I'm the family accountant. My husband is completely clueless as to how much money comes in and goes out in our house. His check gets direct deposited, and he probably couldn't even tell you what he makes.

My day usually goes something like this: Wake up, try not to puke from morning sickness, change diaper, try to get son to go on the potty, make breakfast, playtime and teaching time, make a mid morning snack, make lunch, cleanup lunch, clean kitchen, vacuum, fold clothes, take something out of the freezer to defrost for dinner, make snacks, try to get son to nap, clean bathroom, balance checkbook, pay bills, check email, make phone calls, run errands, grocery shop, cook dinner, clean up dinner, everyone takes a bath, bedtime stories and brushing teeth, make and pack hubby's lunch for work the next day, cleanup kitchen, do dishes, bedtime around 1am.
The Red Headed Witch of Gather G. Oct 21, 2008, 4:45pm EDT
I don't have kids so I will just pass by this with a hello
Nora Davenport Oct 21, 2008, 4:56pm EDT
You know, I wish whoever said that SAHM's are lazy could follow me around for a few days......I have been on both sides of the coin....it is MUCH harder being a SAHM than being employed outside the home. Even though there are just three of us in my household, there are three different schedules....I have to "fit" my time into those!!!! In the mornings, I have to take the kid to/from college, get him home, make lunch, then take him to/from work at the cemetery...........plan our meals, get groceries, go to the laundromat once, if not twice, a week, work on various smaller remodeling projects that I can do while hubby is asleep (he is a trucker and works 12 to 14 hr. nights).........while he sleeps, I manage EVERYTHING here at home.....pay the bills, take phone calls, do decluttering, run necessary household errands, do my Hospice volunteering, get to church and Bible Studies, and then, "whenever," play on the computer, work on my refunding and points programs to help with our household budget.........
I am not bragging or complaining......just stating the facts, as to how "boring" life is as a SAHM.......oh yeah, and we're getting hubby ready to retire, which means filling out tons and tons of paperwork for the union hall and get that all submitted.....I had to run all over the city to "collect" birth certificates, marriage certificate, etc., etc......
There is never a dull moment at my house!!
Janie E. Oct 21, 2008, 5:15pm EDT
I've done both, as well!!! Kind of reminds me of these questionaires that ask, "Are you a housewife?" I tend to think, "I'm not married to my house!!!!" So, instead, I answer, "I'm a domestic engineer!!!"

We decided for me to be a SAHM many years ago, when my oldest daughter was just 3yrs old! I've never regretted my decision and although it is a 24/7 job and it has it's high and lows, it is very rewarding!!!
Mrslisae Photography E. Oct 21, 2008, 5:38pm EDT
boy oh boy! We used to go round and round with this one...hasn't come up lately...

Oh and Skipper wasn't mad, he was just chillin...I captured him mid yawn
Melanie B. Oct 21, 2008, 5:57pm EDT
SAHM's rock!~ =)

~Thank you for sharing your article at, The Graveyard Hours
A ten I give to you~
Karen M. Oct 21, 2008, 6:41pm EDT
I think just the opposite...send me to work ANY DAY !!! GOOD for you doing such a wonderful thing...:)
Sandy (back in Ohio...blah!) Oct 21, 2008, 9:39pm EDT
I hear ya loud and clear. I wish I could get a day off to lounge around and do nothing!!!! I have to much to do being a stay at home mom.
~*~ tinksmagic ~*~ ~ Oct 22, 2008, 8:41am EDT
I'm split here. I am a SAHM during the day, which I love, but I am a WAHM cuz I work online for myself so I can be a FULL-TIME WAHM. I also have a full-time "job" (which I resent, but we need the money and health insurance) which I do nights. We evaluated my job and hubby's job and for me to be home days and him nights (though I hate not being home together), it saves us a ton in daycare and the like.
You always have to find a balance or you will drive yourself nuts. Hubby used to complain about my online time with my website until he saw how well it was doing. Now, he understands that I need to rebuild it to when it was doing well so I can quit my job and be home full time.
Angela <:3---}~~~~ M. Oct 22, 2008, 8:47am EDT
OMG~ I loved being a stay at home mom, how can anyone say its hard work.
Unless you have a ill child or a special needs child you dont know what work is.
I know because I had two that health issues growing up requiring several surgeries.

If you think being a stay at home mom is hard the real world would eat you alive!!

I know that is going to upset a few but ha lets just tell the truth here.

The ones that have it really tough are the moms who have to try and run a family and hold down a job
Monica H. Oct 22, 2008, 9:44am EDT
I work part time three days a week as an administrative assistant in an office. I deal with over 100 clientale and 40 employees and all their problems and questions ect. ect. ect.

Being home with my two toddlers the other 4 days is by far the TOUGHER JOB.
Jodi G. Oct 22, 2008, 10:15am EDT
I'm a stay at home mom, and trust me. I am not lazy, as I am sure most mom's arent. We have way too much to do and not enough time to do it in! Not to mention having to take care of hubby, which as we all know ladies can be tougher and more time consuming than the kids. Don't get me wrong I love it and wouldn't change it for the world. what I would love the most though, would be to be able to find a job that works around my children. Home when they are home and work when they are in school. that would be the ultimate. at least for me.
Amy C. Oct 22, 2008, 12:48pm EDT
Well I know what you mean when you say this... I was a stay at home until my youngest son turned 6. I was blessed to be able to do it and do not regret putting a hold on my career for anything. I worked harder and longer than I have ever worked in my employed years. Being a stay at home mom you have no me time.There is always a little voice calling to you that needs your help, or wants your attention. The clothes, dishes, and everything else does not magically get done...

So kudos to all of those stay at home moms and dads. It is one of the toughest jobs you will ever have, but I must say the payback is well worth every second.

( Many people elected me to do their errands and stuff while I was a stay at home mom they felt I did not work so I had all this free time . I finally had to put my foot down!)
Marsha S. Oct 22, 2008, 5:15pm EDT
I really don't care for those that put down stay at home mom's, or stay at home dad's for that matter.
Tiffany G. Oct 22, 2008, 6:12pm EDT
I would love to see people that say being a SAHM take over my house for a day.

I get up at 5:30 also to fix my husbands lunch.. then at 7 to get my daughter up and ready for bus. Baby wakes up at about 6 then 9am for feedings and all.. then boys usually wake up around 10-11. then Im doing laundry.. OMG I hate laundry now! cant get it caught up for the life of me. do dishes.. clean bathrooms.. vacuum floor.. cleanboys room from crazy messes they make.. try to do a fun activity with them but they fight and argue the whole time s thats crazy and hectic. They fight and whine constantly about dang toys.. like we dont have enough for them to play with.. oh and the never ending.. Im hungry... Im thirsty... I need to pee... bubba hit me.. bubba pinched me... I wanna bath..I wanna bath.. then what a mess that is.. plus im just freakin tired and want some me time okay so i hop in shower to have the boys realize im not in the room so lets see if mom needs some help in shower while other son poor water into the babys formula jar.. thinking she needs a bottle.. I mean what baby dont need a bottle when sleeping.. Oh well lets climb to the top of fridge and get into daddys snacks for his lunch.. I mean mom only gave us 1 a bit ago.. Man how being a SAHM is soo easy.. haha
K D. Oct 22, 2008, 10:22pm EDT
I wouldn't call staying at home with your kids a job but more of a choice. Some of earn a living along with raising our children and doing housework. It all depends on what you want to do.
Lucky Stars Oct 22, 2008, 11:38pm EDT
I was very fortuante I could be a stay at home mom. I/we gave up a lot financially for me to do so though. It's a choice I'll never regret. My kids will never regret it either.

I always had a part time job of some kind, but my husband and I would work different shifts so the kids never had to have a sitter or day care. I mostly worked 3 days a week from 3 - 10 at a local pharmacy. At least one of those days was a weekend day when hubby was home.
I also was a playground mom working for the schools for a while. I worked for a greeting card company stocking the shelves when the kids were in school, I did a stint as a skincare rep for home demonstrations, sold flowers on Easter and Mother's Day weekends and finally, started my own Gardening Service when the kids were in High School.

So even though I considered myself a stay-at-home-mom, I always had some income but on my terms and hours.

I think it's much harder now for moms to be able to stay at home. It just seems the economy is much worse than when I was younger and we could make it on one income.

Also, I know some women don't want to stay at home and that's fine too. Whatever floats you boat, I say. I'm just glad I got to do it. Also, I agree with Anglea M. Even though I got to stay at home, hats off to those full-time working moms. I don't know how you do it. Seems like something has to give when you live at that pace.
Sherine W. Oct 22, 2008, 11:40pm EDT
I was single when my daughters were young, but I had in-home businesses, so was still able to technically be a SAHM, and I am very thankful for that.
Carol Lloyd Oct 23, 2008, 4:00am EDT
Bridget Is that you???? Hows my army doing. Not sure if Bridget Jean is my well armed friend
Dagmara H. Oct 23, 2008, 3:35pm EDT
great article. I think people who says something like stay at home are lazy and such a stuff are just jealous and don't know what they are talking about
Danielle Allen Oct 23, 2008, 7:47pm EDT
People think that people who work out of their homes are lazy too. I run a daycare and people think my job is easy. Its not, they think all I do is play all day long. Yeah right, I wish that was all I did!!!
K D. Oct 24, 2008, 12:16pm EDT
HA HA Danielle! You're right! Laziness can be found everywhere whether we have paying jobs or not!
R B Oct 24, 2008, 10:39pm EDT
There are people at work who think they should be paid to sit around all day and talk about the things they DON'T do at home.
Wendy F. Oct 24, 2008, 11:04pm EDT
I have heard all kind of nonsense like that for the past 30 years . It never worked for my kids or my husband to have me work outside the home. Tried it different times and it was always a disaster . My kids are adults now , but my health won't allow me to work outside the home . I am glad for my hobbies like reading , quilting , computer/internet including Gather . That helps me from feeling so isolated .
Faith Adams Oct 25, 2008, 10:26pm EDT
I'm afraid, and I shouldnt be, I'm afraid that my husband will come from that mindset, that SAHM's are lazy... and I want to be a SAHM.... I dont want a daycare and a public school system to raise my kids, *I* want to raise my kids, with my husband....and just because SOME super moms can do both... doesnt mean all can, it really doesnt, and usually a HIGH price has to be payed, and usually, that price is payed by the kids. I watch so many kids with both parents working outside the home...and most dont impress me much.... I'm scared that my husband will be mad if I refuse to work outside the home... yeah... I'm in support of more SAHM's and agree, I honestly agree, that a SAHM works harder.
Suzi McMullen Oct 26, 2008, 1:45pm EDT
Well I'm a work at home mom, a childcare giver and open 7 days per week. Yeah, it's busy work, staying at home. But we should be HONEST.. We get to choose what we will do and when within reason. If we are tired we can let the house or the dishes or laundry slide once in awhile.

I feel sorry for my moms. I get up around 5:30 in the morning, pick up the house, let all the kids in over a couple of hours, do one load of laundry, feed breakfast, do those dishes and then while the kids watch Sesame Street I sweep and mop the floors. I make the kids pick up their toys before we eat and I clean the bathrooms in little spurts as I am in there potty training kids. I take the kids out of the house as much as possible to McDonalds to eat and play in the tunnels and when I worry about the bad food there we just do the fruit and have a snack at home before and after.

The point to all of this is that my house is spotless because I get to clean as I go. I am organized and I choose my days activities. The kids love the on the go lifestyle I choose for us and the parents enjoy that their kids are happy, learning and tired enough to take a good nap and go home in a good mood.

These poor moms have to go home and do laundry, shopping, help with homework, dishes and usually fall behind so that every weekend is a marathon house cleaning session.

I would not call myself or any stay at home lazy. But I do think we have it easier than the work out of the house moms.

The only difference for me and other stay at home moms is we do this every day and don't really feel like we get time off. But I make my own time out by taking mini vacations with the kids...rent some movies, order in some pizza and make everyone lay around the house with me. Just like that, we've taken a day off.

Suzi
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:43pm EDT
Bridget, I was a S.A.H.M. with all my crew and that was tough!!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:44pm EDT
Gettin' 5 kids fed and off to the school bus was hectic!!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:45pm EDT
I had one child at home not school age and had to keep
her busy and do the dishes up from brekky !!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:46pm EDT
Laundry was an every day chore and I was lucky enough
to have a washer/dryer. But still lots of work.
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:49pm EDT
Summer time I always hung the clothes out to dry the clothesline
was way out back of the house. Lugging a basket full of wet clothes
weren't any picnic !!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:51pm EDT
I had 198 chickens to water and feed in the morning, the kids
did when they got home from school.
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:53pm EDT
We had to fill the gallon jugs 6 of them, lug them over where
the chickens were a far piece to walk with 3 jugs in each hand.
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:54pm EDT
Good thing there was a barrel for the chicken feed over there!!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:55pm EDT
Then there was floors to sweep, mop and wax too!!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:57pm EDT
4 bedrooms, huge kitchen and parlor 1 full bath w/tub
and a smaller one with shower and the laundry room.
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:58pm EDT
Good thing the school provided lunch for my kids !!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 3:59pm EDT
Oh, I forgot the entry way a small room for boots, coats
and what ever !!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:00pm EDT
Preparing dinner wasn't to hard, meat taters and veggy's.
I always made my own bread too !!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:02pm EDT
Soon's the kids got home from school they set down at the
kitchen table, time for homework !!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:03pm EDT
They all had to clean up their own dish and eating utinsels
that made it easier when it came time to wash them.
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:04pm EDT
Hey !! Is anybody tired out yet?? You keepin' up with me ?
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:08pm EDT
Then there's the hassle to get them to change from their
school clothes right when they go thome from school. I
always had each of their change of clothes laid out!!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:09pm EDT
They all had to fold their school clothes neatly to wear the next day.
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:11pm EDT
They went and fed/watered the chickens that was part of
their play time, chucking rocks in the swamp.
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:13pm EDT
There was a huge side yard they used for softball almost
every night neighbor kids would come to play. About 8 in
all and I would bake cookies for them.
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:14pm EDT
When it started to get dark out the kids had to get home
and my kids inside to either bathe or shower. Fun time !!
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:16pm EDT
I always had their jammies laid out for all of them, they each had
their own big bath towel to hang on the clothes rack.
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:17pm EDT
Then there was quiet time with Mom. Dad was always busy doing
something but once a week he would watch Lassie with us.
Barbara B. Oct 27, 2008, 4:18pm EDT
Bedtime was almost always a breeze which I just loved !!