I can now say that being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest job ever.
To be honest, I never thought that I would hold that title. I was pretty sure I'd have kids but, I never imagined being home with them all day. At the moment, these are my circumstances...albeit, not by choice. The timing of being pregnant, leaving my job and moving to a new city kind of forced me into this new role. Now, I'm trying to jumpstart a career in freelance writing (hire me, I'm awesome). In the meantime, I'm trying to master this new lifestyle / full-time job...which is waaay harder than I thought it would be.
Why is being a stay-at-home mom tough?
1. It is a 24/7 job. There is no break from being a mom...for any mom. But when you are working, you are typically sending your child to a daycare provider and can enjoy adult interaction. My entire day revolves around my kiddo's needs -- feedings, diapers, nap time, awake time, fussy time, etc. The list goes on. At this point, going to work would be considered a break and offer some freedom to the schedule I'm holding down at this point!
2. It is a "dirty job." I spend all day caring for a screaming, infant child covered in a strange mixture of regurgitate breast milk and baby poop. Babies -- while absolutely freakin' adorable -- are totally gross. I've already covered this topic, but it still needs to be included in this list. Hey, Mike Rowe -- add this one to your show.
3. It doesn't pay the bills. The country's average daycare costs run from $350 to $1,000 a month. That's a nice chunk of change! The average stay-at-home mom makes $0. Enough said there.
4. There is little adult interaction. These days, the only real adult interaction I have is with my hubby. And while he is fantastic and I love him very much...I forget what it is like to talk to other adults. In a way, I've become an unsocialized, wild animal. Do people really talk about things other than their baby? I don't know. I forget what I used to talk about before I gave birth. Can someone please remind me?
5. People think you do nothing all day. People assume I've become a cliche -- I sit on my big, fat ass, eating bon-bons, watching daytime TV. And, while I do enjoy watching daytime talk shows (huge fan of Maury)...I am certainly not bored. As a first-time mommy, this baby keeps me on my toes. I have no idea what to expect from one minute to the next. And since I'm home all day, I take care of everything -- making sure bills get paid on time, grocery shopping, cooking meals, cleaning, doctor's appointments, laundry, etc. This shit is not fun or easy...believe me.
Despite this list -- which can be construed as complaining, and to an extent it is a little bit -- a tiny part of my truly enjoys spending time with my little baby. She will only be this little once and she seems to double in size and weight every day.
Right now for me...it is about finding the right balance of work and adult interaction while mastering the very important art of mommyhood.
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