Sooo...What do you do?!

 I don't know if we've met, but I'm Sonya, and I'm (what some people refer to as) a S-A-H-M!

If you are unfamiliar with this term, it stands for  Stay At Home Mom.

Which means it is my "job" to stay at home, while my husband gets (yes I said "gets") to go out into the world, interact with other adults and single handedly (well....single handedly with both his hands) earn the money for our entire family, of five, to live off of.
Am I happy with this arrangement?! Not always. I envy his work relationships, his conversations that don't require him to ask if someone needs a snack or a run to the bathroom or why they thought burying their sister in the hole they just dug was a good idea. I envy, what I perceive as, a daily break from the chaos of running a home. I envy that he gets paid to do what he does all day - and I do what I do for the occasional penny my 6 yr. old decide to pay me for his Popsicle.
I am not thrilled with the crooked look  I get when people ask "So what do you do for a living" And I reply back with "I stay home with the kids" I would like very much to say to people, I went to school for (insert desired degree here) and now I'm working as a (insert specialized degree position here).
But the truth of the matter is - I stay home with the kids, and there isn't enough time in the day to stand here and tell you all the things that I do, and am responsible for, but here's a taste of what I do:

 

It is my job to make sure everyone has clean, and tidy clothes to wear.

It is my job to make sure there are clean dishes to eat off of, and cook with.

It is my job to make sure everyone has eaten breakfast before school, and packed their lunch if their tiny little hearts desire a cold lunch that day.

It is my job to make sure that the homework (that dad helped them with the night before) is in their back packs, that they know where their back packs are!
It is my job to keep track of shoes and clothes - do they fit, are they worn out, do you need new ones?!

It is my job to make sure they make it to the bus stop on time, and if they don't I gotta bust some booty to get them to school on time.

It's my job to make sure there is food in the fridge and that the food in the fridge won't give you tunny aches, or kill you!

It's my job to make sure they have a safe place to come home to after school, and a clean place they can sit and do their homework.

It's my job to make sure they have a clean bed to sleep in, and a clean pillow to sleep on!

It's my job to make sure they grow up to be responsible adults, realizing these things don't magically happen.

It's my job to make sure they are nice to each other, taking turns - waiting their turn.

It's my job to raise kind, gentle and loving human beings who know how to stand up for them selves and always do what's right.

It's my job to make sure they understand that I will love them unconditionally - I will always be there for them.

I stay at home, because it is my job! That IS what I do for a living! 

It is my responsibility as their mother, to make sure they know - no matter what, I am here. I am ready to help them, teach them, and learn with them!

 

 

I GET to do this! It's not always easy to realize, or remember that it's a blessing that I don't have to work to help support our family! I give out mass props to working mom's who work all day and STILL Have to do all of these things!! More power to ya!! I get to stay home and help our children learn. I get to be the one they come to when they've had a bad day at school, or if they've fallen off something I told them to get off of, and now they need a band aid and a hug (even if it comes with a bit of a scolding). Our children are my living - taking care of them is what I do all day.

In  "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" put out by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it clearly states "By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners."

 

So while I don't always like my job, who actually likes their job 100% of the time?  It is my job, and it is the most important job on the planet! It is a tough, messy, annoying and extremely rewarding job.

 

 

So to all my fellow SAHMs out there - Keep doing what you're doing!

Thank you for doing what you do! I know that we are where we're supposed to be, and our kids will thank us for all we do, even if it's not until they're older and doing what we're doing now.