Tuesday, December 22, 2015

On Being a Work At Home Mom

A little bit of deep thoughts today, when I should really be hustling and bustling...but sometimes you need to have a little down time in order to prepare yourself for the busy-ness!

This blog article popped up in my feed this morning:
   I really like reading Abby's blog.  She tackles a lot of touchy subjects, and always in a thoughtful way.  She states her opinion, not sugarcoating things, but also not in an offensive way either. I really enjoyed this post and it made me think about my journey as a mom and wage earner!

 I had the privilege of being able to stay at home while raising my children for the most part.  I did a short stint of working full time when my two oldest were small, but it only took a few months before my husband and I came to the conclusion that our family would be much happier and healthier if I were to stay home.  Three more daughters were born to make up our family and I am so glad we made that decision!

It worked out well for us for the most part.  I took on a series of jobs that allowed me to add to our income without sacrificing time with the kids, and they seem to have had a happy childhood!  I did day-care for a number of years, and while that was fulfilling in some ways, it was also draining.  After that I ran the church nursery for a few years, but I really didn't realize that I could use my passion as a way to earn an income until my oldest left home for college and I started sewing for other people.  This led to working at the local quilt shop, then to opening my Etsy shop, and finally to designing quilt patterns!

Although  am not nearly as organized and productive as Abby, I have learned to find my pace.  I find that it is hard to distinguish work time from other parts of my life as it all blends together - I think about projects while I am doing other household tasks and find inspiration in many parts of my day!  As my husband is retired and all the girls have left our home, there is no longer chaos in most of my days, so I find myself more relaxed and less pressured, which is wonderful!  Sometimes I have more things to do than time, but other times I can slow down and really appreciate how nice it is to be able to work at home.  I could choose to teach and travel if I wanted to, but I have decided not to follow that path for now.

I am enjoying watching my girls as they journey through their lives, finding their passions, and experimenting with different outlets.  They are all so unique in the way they live and I think each one of them are finding fulfillment in their lives and work.  I think we all struggle from time to time and wish our lives were different in some ways, but each one of my daughters is precious to me and I am glad we live in a world where women's work is valued - whether you are raising children, working in a lab, or getting an education.  I am excited that they have options in their lives - options that have not always been available for women in this world, like having their own bank account and being able to buy and sell property!  They can choose to send their children to public school, or teach them at home.  They can work at home, own their own business, or work for a company.

I look forward to seeing what their lives will look like in 20 years,  and I am happy I got to spend their childhood years with them close by my side.  I am glad I got to make a choice to be at home and I am grateful for a good public school system where they could learn.  I am glad they all still like to learn and grow and I hope that will always stay with them. I can't wait to spend a few days laughing and talking and catching up on their lives.

I think my favorite job title I will ever have is Mom!

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