Stay-At-Home-Motherhood: A Noble Profession
home mom, and it's a choice I continue to make each day. As I said before, the fringe benefits are extraordinary. I have the honor of witnessing all of his "firsts." I cannot imagine missing his milestones, only to hear about them from a babysitter or daycare provider. If I worked outside the home, I would miss our play time, our walks. I would not be the one to scoop him up and comfort him when he falls. It wouldn't be my neck he buries his head into when he hears a scary household noise, like the vacuum, or the food processor. I would likely not be so in tune with my son that I know when he's going to wake up just minutes before he does. By far, what I would miss most is the way his little eyes flutter and close, and the way his little body relaxes in my arms as I rock him to sleep twice during the day. If I worked outside the home, I would miss all of these fringe benefits! Somebody else would have the honor of experiencing these things, and more, with my son!
I have been told that I am lucky to be able to stay at home with my son. In reality, luck has nothing to do with it. My husband and I made this choice before we were married, and adjusted our life accordingly. When we bought our home, we could have easily afforded a home that cost twice the amount, or more, of what we paid. We knew, however, that doing so would mean that I would be forced to work after we had children, so we opted for the smaller, less expensive home in the working class neighborhood (as opposed to the "Yuppie" neighborhood). We don't drive SUV's; we do not have new cars, and will probably not buy a brand new car for quite some time. We do not have designer clothes. We are not hurting, but we also do not spend money frivolously. We have chosen this lifestyle, first and foremost, because it allows me to stay home to raise children, and secondly, because we want to teach our son that money and material possessions are not what are important in life. We want our son, and any future children, to know that they're MUCH more important to us than money or material possessions! I believe I would
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