There are many misconceptions about stay-at-home moms and I’m here to debunk some of them.
Since leaving my full time Weather Anchor gig a couple of months ago, I’ve had some ah-ha moments that made me eat my own words. Yes, I’ll admit that I used to be one of those people who thought they knew what being a stay-at-home mom was all about. So here they are in random order.
1. “It looks like a bomb went off because the house is a mess. She must be too lazy to clean.” Actually, I spend all day picking up after our kids, but they just keep making a mess. I’d clean one area and within 10 minutes it’s back to where it was. After a while, I’m just too exhausted to continue cleaning.
2. “All they do is watch TV all day.” The other day a friend of mine asked about something that was reported on the news. When I told her that I told really have time to watch TV, she was shocked. “I can’t believe you don’t watch the news,” she said.
To be honest, between cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the kids, I really have no time. When I do have a moment, the kids control what’s on TV.
3. “Stay-at-home moms don’t work.” Really? Yea, right. All we do is work. I used to feel the same way until I became a mom. In fact, going to work was like a nice break.
4. “You must be well rested.” People assume that we nap when the kids do and that’s absolutely false. The only time I can get anything done uninterrupted is when they are asleep. My two-year-old often wakes up in the middle of the night and wants to play. Sometimes he’ll even take over our bed, so most days I’m like a walking zombie.
5. “You can afford to stay home? You must be rich!” Not! I’ve had to give up a full time salary with benefits in order to spend more time with my family and it’s worth it. But, we’ve had to adjust our spending. Fortunately, I’m able to freelance and take on writing assignments to help with our expenses.
6. “They always look a hot mess.” I’m not always red carpet ready, but I can pull it together when necessary. I spent years being camera ready and it feels good not having to get all dolled up everyday. Besides, it’s so much easier putting on a simple t-shirt and shorts, or dress rather than an elaborate outfit with makeup.
7. “They cook everyday.” Most days I prepare something quick and easy like pasta and a couple times a week meals a much more elaborate. I wouldn’t exactly say that I cook every day though.
8. “You must spend a lot of time at the spa.” I’ve had a voucher for a massage for the past five months that I haven’t had a chance to use because I’m just so busy.
9. “They don’t have a sense of identity.” This was my biggest concern when I decided to quit my job. “Will I lose myself?” I asked my husband. “Your job doesn’t define who you are,” he responded.
He’s absolutely right. But, I didn’t want to just be known as a wife and mom. Fortunately, blogging has offered me an outlet, and I also have a couple of other pet projects that I’m working on.
10. “Being a stay-at-home mom is easy.” It’s everything, but easy. Running a household takes a lot of work. I had the picture perfect plan in my head that I’d tackle one room at a time to organize and that’s been a huge challenge.
Check out our latest couples chat. My husband and I talk about how we’re coping with the recent changes.
What are some of the misconceptions you’ve heard about stay-at-home moms?