Why I am a Stay at Home Mom

For some reason lately I've been hearing more and more negative things about stay at home mom's. Mostly that we are lazy. I honestly don't have anything against someone who works over staying at home so it makes me feel bad to hear what I choose to do put down. There are all sorts of reasons mom's have to work or even choose to work and this has nothing to do with them. I've just been thinking about what my real reasons for staying home are. I had a great job when Ty was born. I was working part time teaching 4th grade and I loved it! I loved the kids and I loved only working in the morning and having some extra income. But I really hated dropping off my sweet new baby everyday. I felt like I was pulled between work and home so much that I couldn't do 100% at either. I really gained a appreciation for women who have to work and do it all. Bryan and I were by no means rich when I quit but we knew we could make it. We have gone without fancy cars and fancy dinners and trips and all of that but it has really been worth it. The reason I decided to be a stay at home mom is this:

And this:
And don't forget this face;

My kids are only little for such a SHORT amount of time. I'm sending my oldest off to Kindergarten next week for crying out loud! It happens so fast and I didn't want to miss it. I also didn't want someone else taking care of my baby all day. I knew that no one would love him like I would. I even had my cousins and Grandma take care of Ty while I worked. I had a friend in college who worked at a day care and some of those kids only say their parents a few hours before they went to bed. They called my friend mom and they potty trained and did all of that at day care. I'm sure those are extreme cases but I wanted to be there when my kid fell and scrapped their knee or started crawling and walking. I wanted to make sure I was there to see it.

Am I a perfect mom? Heck no! Am I lazy? Are you kidding me? I'm typing this while the baby is taking a nap and a load of laundry is going. I have very little "me" time to even think all day. That is something I do miss about working. Even teaching school I at least got to really only worry about me for some of the time during the day. I go all day from when the kids get up until they have been out of bed for the 4 time that night. Are there some mom's that are lazy? Of course but to generalize that most are lazy is like saying all mothers at work don't care enough about their kids. Both are very untrue.

I hear on TV all the time about women "having it all" by having kids and a career and everything else. Even though what I do is honestly the hardest thing I've ever done (not physically but mentally for sure!) I feel so blessed to be able to be the one that is with my kids all day and I wouldn't give that up for anything.