When you think of the term "Stay at home mom", the mind conjures up several different stereotypical images. The first in my mind is June Cleaver on "Leave it to Beaver". To me June epitomized all the wonderful qualities a stay at home mom should possess back in the day. When her husband walked in the door she looked great, her home was clean, the children were taken care of and dinner was in the oven. She didn't take care of household finances or question her husbands direction for the family. This kind of stay at home mom is extinct I think. This vision of Perfection doesn't work in 2010. Women and their roles have changed drastically since the 50's.
The second vision I get in my mind is the Peggy Bundy, "Married with Children" stay at home mom. OMG she was something else. Peggy spent most of her days watching tv or shopping for her cougar clothes. When it came to the children she was far from a doting Mother. Kelly and Bud Bundy were a true reflection of the love and effort put into them. Peggy's housekeeping, don't get me started it was so dirty and disgusting in their house it makes my itchy just thinking about it. As for preparing meals for the family, Peggy rarely shopped for groceries let alone cook any. The one thing that Peggy did that is very important to be a great stay at home mom was she was ready to please her man in the bedroom. I know some of you might be thinking how the hell does that make you a good stay at home mom? Well let me tell you if you don't keep your marriage strong you might just find yourself a single mom and I don't think very many of those stay at home!!
The third variety of stay at home mom is where I fit in. We are domestic engineers that look after the families needs from command central, our homes. We make sure the house is clean, the family has great meals, the laundry is done. We tend the yard, pay the bills and if you are like me have your own business and or husbands business you manage from home, with the occasional meeting in the city. We make sure the kids get enough exercise, food and sleep. We help them do their homework, learn their manners and we get them to their activities. We are there so they have someone they trust & has their best interest at heart to talk to when they come home from a bad or good day at school. On top of that we try to maintain some of our own friendships and interests. We try not to turn into the sweat pant lady (that includes LuLu lemons when you don't even do yoga!) or becoming the even worse floral shirt, curlers and polyester pant wearing lady. No,this class of stay at home mom likes to look good. She not only has an eye for home fashions but designer fashions. Well maybe not couture but Winner's or TJ Max affordable high fashion.(Holt Renfrew or Macy's when we have the money) We want to keep our marriages strong so we devote time to keeping the romance and passion alive with our husbands. We married our best friend and want to keep that friendship resilient to everything that will try to destroy it. We believe that Quality time is Family time.
Basically we are the whole package and with great thanks to our husbands (Thank You Bear!) for being supportive,we are able to pull this all together. Unfortunately there is no financial compensation for this job. There is no check on the 1st, 15th or the last Friday of the month that you can contribute to the family. Sometimes the value of our job is diminished by others whom look upon it as worthless or view it as easy or lazy. I believe the proof is in the pudding. The payment or worth comes when you have happy, polite, loving, well rounded and secure children. Add to that a loving devoted husband who is a great father and provider. Now top that with a clean home, great clothes and a nice haircut. Consider me paid in full!
Well I better go the phone is ringing, I have weekend sleepover/party plans to tend to. Did I mention I am also the social coordinator for my 11 year old daughter and 9 year old son. A Mother's work is never done!
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