Full Time Working Stay-At-Home Mom

This is what happens when I work!

The media keeps doing stories about the conflict between working moms and stay-at-home moms. Working moms are jealous of the stay-at-home moms. Stay-at-home moms think that working moms are horrible for leaving their children. It really angers me! No! That's not how I feel. It makes me scream at the TV. Why do women do this to each other? Isn't it hard enough being a mom? Why would any responsible news agency put such extreme views out there? Why can't others understand that what's right for one family may not be right for another family?

I am in a very unique position. I had the option to choose to either keep working when we had our daughter or become at stay-at-home mom. Here's my choice. I am a full time working stay-at-home mom. I see both sides of this fabricated debate.

Here's a brief glimpse into my day...  

6:30 a.m. Get out of bed and take 20 minutes for myself before the chaos begins. I try to at least get some clean clothes on, teeth brushed and make a half-hearted attempt at makeup.

6:50 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.  Get the kids out of bed, diaper changed, breathing  treatments for the baby, fix a sippy cup of milk, breakfast on the table, lunch made, snack packed, drink fixed, double check the calendar to see if my daughter needs to bring something to school, toss her homework folder in the bag, feed the dogs and clean hands and faces.

8:00 a.m. - 8:20 a.m. Get two kids dressed, teeth brushed, socks and shoes on, load the car with kids and race to school.

9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.  Home from taking my daughter to school. Now, I get to perform the balancing act of trying to get work done while keeping an almost two-year-old mentally stimulated, out-of-trouble and happy all while not turning on the TV because the media keeps telling me that it will cause ADHD.

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.  Preparing lunch, eating, wiping hands and face, reading stories and putting the baby down for his nap.

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Frantically trying to get any phone calls made, work completed and e-mails returned while the house is quiet.

2:30 p.m. Pick my daughter up from school

2:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.  This is my time to focus on being a mom. That means running my daughter to soccer or dance practice, taking the kids for bike rides and long walks, fixing dinner, bathing them, brushing teeth, reading stories, etc.

7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Attempt at some house work (usually, I push it to tomorrow), work on anything for BarkingWife.com that I didn't get accomplished during the day, spend some time with my hard working husband and try to watch at least one terribly mindless reality show.

Sometime after midnight Get out of bed to put the baby back in bed because he has been caught playing with his trains in the middle of the night.

Trust me! There are days that I wish that I could leave my kids with a nanny and go to a quiet office where no one needs their diaper changed or nose wiped. On the flip side, I feel so blessed that I can be my daughter's room mom, that I don't have to call in "sick" when my daughter is ill and I can take my little boy to the park in the middle of the day. There are no "right" answers. Every mom has to do what's best for her family.

Just be a little more sympathetic of the mom at the grocery store who's kid doesn't have shoes on. Maybe she has put them on the child 100 times and just can't do it again. Or the mom who drops her kids off at child care at 7:00 a.m. and doesn't pick them up until 7:00 p.m. She's working hard to make sure that her kids have food on the table and roof over their heads. Instead of passing judgment on other moms, give her a knowing smile or head nod. You have no idea how much she might need that bit of encouragement at that moment.

www.BarkingWife.com is developing a new category of messages. They are messages just for this occasion. Here an example of a message that we're playing with. You can use www.BarkingWife.com to deliver a phone message to your best gal pal that goes something like this, "I'm sorry that the kids are sick and your husband says that his throat is scratchy and you have lost the luxury of being ill. I understand and would bring you chicken soup, but I don't want to expose my family. I hope this message has brought a smile to your face. I understand! Hugs!" Here's another one... "Thanks for being my friend. I appreciate the shoulder to cry on, the ear that's always willing to listen and your heart for always be so loving. You are an awesome friend." Have any other great ideas for messages to send to your girl friends? Please post them in the comment section. We want your feedback!


Create an free account at www.BarkingWife.com. We'll let you know when these new messages are available. Use the gift certificate code "FBFan" and you'll get 10 free phone messages (good over the next year) to send to your best girl friends. Who doesn't need a pick me up every now and then?

Cheers!
Carolanne