I noticed you used that term recently. It slipped from your lips much like it used to from mine—without much contemplation. We’ve grown so accustomed to hearing it from ourselves and others that we often overlook both its utterance and the heavy implications it carries.
I’m just a stay-at-home mom.
I detected the apology in your tone and felt your insecurities. Within that small four-letter word lies an avalanche of fears, doubts, and uncertainties. I understand this because I’ve traversed that path; I’ve harbored those same concerns. I’ve uttered those very words: I’m “just” a stay-at-home mom.
You worry about your performance in this role. You question if your educational achievements were worth the investment. You look around and see other women pursuing thrilling careers, achieving milestones, and advancing up the corporate ladder. You fear that being at home diminishes your worth, your skills, and your interests. You ponder whether your partner’s support will one day turn into resentment. You fret about not being feminist enough, not being captivating enough, simply not being enough. You worry that you are just a stay-at-home mom.
Listen, mama, there is no “just” in being a stay-at-home mom.
There’s no “just” in motherhood, no matter how it manifests for you. Whether you dedicate your days to changing diapers and organizing playdates, or you’re managing business deals and holding meetings, we are all engaged in the same important act of mothering. We are all doing challenging and meaningful work. We are all nurturing children. And there is nothing trivial, mundane, or simplistic about that. There’s no “just” in being a mother.
You aren’t simply a stay-at-home mom; you are a nurturer, sustaining a human life and fostering growth. You are nourishing babies, cradling sleepy toddlers in your arms, and tending to preschoolers’ scrapes.
You aren’t merely a stay-at-home mom; you are a caretaker, changing countless diapers, tackling multiple loads of laundry, and preparing dinner for a variety of picky eaters (one for the baby, one for the toddler who only likes chicken nuggets, and something that will go cold while you juggle feeding and cleaning).
You aren’t just a stay-at-home mom; you are a multitasker, reading to your preschooler while nursing the baby and checking your first-grader’s homework. You patiently await a response from the pediatrician while assisting your preschooler with brushing her teeth. You stir pasta sauce while engaged in your son’s enthusiastic Minecraft monologue, skillfully adding in the right “wows” and “cools” at the perfect moments.
You aren’t merely a stay-at-home mom; you are a peacekeeper, mediating disputes over cup colors and soothing tantrums after juice spills. You can effortlessly slice a fruit snack in half to appease two children, all while negotiating the terms of naptime or what show to watch next.
You aren’t just a stay-at-home mom; you are a healer, kissing away scrapes and applying Band-Aids to both real and imagined wounds. You hold bowls for sick little ones and cool washcloths on feverish foreheads. You’ve combed out lice nits more times than you’d like to count.
You aren’t simply a stay-at-home mom; you are a teacher, guiding your children in tying shoelaces, singing the Alphabet Song, and expressing polite requests. You show them how to embrace failure and then try again, helping them become their best selves.
You aren’t merely a stay-at-home mom; you are an advocate, teaching your children the essence of feminism through equality and choice. You’re the one volunteering at their school, spending hours on tasks like copying papers and baking cookies for fundraisers. You even chaperone field trips, enduring the chaos of riding a bus with a gaggle of energetic third-graders.
So, listen, mama, you are not just a stay-at-home mom because you are not “just” a mother. You embody the roles of Nurturer, Caretaker, Multitasker, Peacekeeper, Healer, Teacher, and Advocate.
In essence, you are a Mom.
Your work is significant; it’s fulfilling work, as is the work of every mother. There’s no “just” in the realm of motherhood, no matter how or where that journey unfolds. For more insights on family and parenting, check out this article on home insemination kits or visit Healthline for valuable resources on pregnancy and home insemination.
Summary:
Being a stay-at-home mom is a multifaceted role that encompasses nurturing, caregiving, multitasking, peacekeeping, healing, teaching, and advocating. There is no “just” about it; every aspect of motherhood is vital and meaningful. Embrace your identity as a mom without the need for diminutive qualifiers.
Keyphrase: stay-at-home mom
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