In Defense of the SAHM

I have found myself defending my at-home status.

I have been at home with children since early 1996. In the early days I was a freelance production editor for a health care publisher. I was able to work around my children’s schedules quite well. I would wait for them to go down for a nap and then call authors or edit manuscripts. My work system worked until my children no longer napped. By the end of my work-at-home life, I was too tired from being with my children all day to work at night. By 2002 I was a full-time SAHM.

Here’s my secret…shhh, don’t tell. I love being at home with my kids. My son who was born after I quit my freelance job had a more relaxed early childhood. He never had to wait for me to get off the phone from a business call to play with him. If he didn’t nap, I would just let him play. When one of my daughters did not nap, I would have been stressed out about how I would complete my work assignments.

This past September my son started full-day kindergarten. With three children in full-day school I find myself wondering what to do with myself. In conversations with friends and family I find myself either dodging the question about whether I will go back to work or giving unnecessary details on my recent writing opportunities. It is as though I am trying to justify staying at home.

I have looked in to getting a job outside the home, but I would have to pay for before and after school care for two children since I live quite far away from most workplaces. My husband is not available during school hours to watch children home sick from school. I need to find a way to work from home so that I can be there for my family and contribute to my family.

I have discovered a love of writing for sites like BlogHer. So, when the next person inquires about my work status I will proudly say I am writing for mom sites and leave it at that. Who knows I may even start making some money one of these days!