An Amazing Occupation

By:  Donna Martin

When my children were small I often dreamed of being a stay-at-home mom.  I was certain life would go so much more smoothly if I did not have to go to work outside of the home.   I envisioned how I would get up and make a healthy breakfast for my family.  After the dishes were done I would create all kinds of interesting and educational activities for my children to do.  Never would I let the TV be my babysitter.  I would keep all the closets, drawers, and cabinets organized, and all of the photos would be in albums. While the children napped I would sew for them.  The house would be clean and tidy and the laundry always caught up.  When it was time for my husband to come home everything would be in order so he could just relax after a hard day’s work, and of course a healthy meal would be waiting for him.  Boy was  I living in a dream world.  Obviously I had seen too many episodes of Father Knows Best as a child. 

I have always known that being a stay-at-home mom was a lot of work, but after keeping our three grandchildren ages 5, 3, and 18 months at their home this past week, I have a new appreciation for these amazing moms.  Not only do they have to be strong, just to lift all of the baby equipment that children have to have these days, but they also have to have an over abundance of patience, self-control, love, creativity, and a servant’s heart.

Now don’t get me wrong.  Mike and I had the time of our lives keeping those three precious little children, but it took both of us to keep things running smoothly, and by the end of the day we were ready to go to bed when the kids did.  I was barely able to keep them fed and we took them out for every meal except breakfast.  I had anticipated doing a little bit of work on the computer and took a book to read while the younger children napped and the older child was at kindergarten.   Turns out we ended up taking the baby to the doctor and barely got finished with lunch before it was time to pick up the kindergartener.  Naptime ended up happening in the car.  Trying to get the kids fed, bathed, and in bed by 8:30 was another feat.  Each day went a little more smoothly and by the last day I actually managed to get everyone to nap at the same time.

If you know a young mother, do all you can to encourage her.   Take her a meal, offer to baby sit, give her a gift card for a massage.  I don’t know how these young mothers do it.  Of course they are all quite a bit younger than I am, but still it is an amazing task.

If you are a husband of a stay-at- home mom, give you wife encouragement.   Help her when you can.  And above all listen to her.  She needs some adult conversation at the end of the day.  There is no higher calling than to give love and care to our children.  So to all you stay-at-home moms and all you working moms who are juggling activities, know that I have a new appreciation for you.  Keep up the good work.  Don’t worry too much about the house, laundry, and dishes.  They will still be there when the kids are gone.  I am sure that Jesus words, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,” applies to you.