There's been a lot of type cast about lately on being a SAHM, or WAHM, and how these terms define us. I'd never given it much thought, really. I gave up the new car and huge house lifestyle when I made the choice to be here, taking an on-call 24/7 role in the raising of my children.
I don't get paid for what I do. My compensation comes in milky smiles from Snapdragon and moments of creative genius from Mongoosine.
It's worth it, but that doesn't mean it isn't work.
I'm doing much more than just "staying home." In that light, its limiting and inaccurate.
But more inaccurate in that, as a "stay home mom" I'm really only occasionally home. I'm at the park, engendering a healthy love of play. I'm at appointments making sure everyone's healthy. I'm at the grocery store giving Mongoosine an opportunity to, albeit slowly, determine which item is best, either healthiest or most cost efficient. I'm walking the kids to the library to teach them a love of books and that there are more ways to travel by car. I'm at the pool watching Mongoosine conquer the high-dive. I'm in the voting booth quietly explaining how the electoral process works so that Mongoosine will grow up to be an active citizen.
I'm not staying at home by any stretch of the imagination.
I'm just not being financially compensated for the work I do, and I'm not punching a clock.
So what does this make me?
I'm a woman. I'm a mother. I'm a daughter, a sister, aunt, cousin, teacher, friend, college graduate, lactivist, blogger, writer, singer, milch-cow, artist, environmentalist,and sometime short order cook.
3 comments:
Love this! Especially the last paragraph, which sums up a lot of what we do... Multiple occupations!
Absolutely!! I often laugh at how I am called a stay at home mom but I am never at home. :)
Yes! There's so much more to us than SAHM says. If we were financially compensated, it would be a six figure salary.
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