If you have ever been a stay-at-home mom, chances are you have had a lot to deal with. Kids, schedules, duties, errands, etc. can seem never ending. It’s not like you need anything else to deal with, but you have probably had to deal with one more thing– the myths people have about what a Stay-at-home mom does. In fact, you may have had your own myths before taking on this new role. Read these top 4 myths about stay-at-home moms, and see if any of these sound familiar.
Myth #1: You Don’t Work or Hold a REAL Job—This is so offensive it’s almost funny. A REAL job??? Hmm…maybe you’re right. It’s really more of an UNREAListic job at times. Most “real jobs” give you a paycheck for your time, offer insurance and investment benefits, provide scheduled lunch breaks, give time off for vacation, afford you paid sick days, and here’s the best one—they have hours of operation so you get a start time and an end time to your day. Stay-at-home moms get NONE of that, and most are not sad about it. The benefit of time with their children far outweighs the benefits of a “real job”.
Myth #2: You Don’t Have a College Degree— Sure, you may have graduated from high school, but surely you don’t have a bachelor’s or master’s degree. I mean, if you did, you would be out earning a living at some top paying job, right? WRONG. Many stay-at-home moms have college degrees. The choice to stay home with their kids is just that—a choice. That choice usually has more to do with their beliefs about family, what’s beneficial for their family right now, or maybe even their religious beliefs. They don’t believe staying at home with their kids is a waste of a degree, but an investment into their family.
Myth #3: You Have Unlimited Free Time—Oh yes, 24 hours of nothing to do. How dreamy! This misconception is often adopted by the new stay-at-home mom, too. The new stay-at-home mom tends to think she will have tons of time to pray and read her Bible (if it was not a priority before, it won’t automatically become one now that you’re home), go to lunch with friends (most of your friends will probably be at work), sleep in when needed (NOT), and catch up on television shows and other leisurely things (TV? What’s that?). And let’s not forget the plans that your well-meaning family members have made for you now that you have all this free time. You can run their errands and handle business matters for them while they work. Friends may think they can call you daily and talk for hours since you’re home all day. Neighbors believe they can drop by unannounced or count on you to catch the delivery truck scheduled to drop off an important package at their home. After all, you have so much free time on your hands. Your spouse may be surprised and maybe even a little upset to learn that you haven’t accomplished a (un)reasonable amount of tasks during the day. He may ask, “ What have you been doing with all your free time?” Whoa, TIME OUT! (Insert a blow of the whistle right here). Here’s the truth. Time switches to warp speed when you’re at home. If you are not up and dressed by at least 10 am, your day will be gone before you know it. Also, kids can keep you very, very, very busy. If they are home they keep you busy. If they are at school, you still have tons of things to do around the house. If you volunteer some of your time, that makes your schedule even tighter. If you are running a business out of your home, that makes you busy, too! Help your spouse, family, friends, and neighbors out by re-defining what “at home” really means. Lovingly establish boundaries with them. Help them understand that you are not on an extended vacation. You still do work, just at different address.
Myth #4: You Have No Money or You Have Excessive Money— They think, “You poor thing you. You must be barely making it if you’re not holding down a steady job these days. After all, who can support a family in this economy without both spouses working? Or here’s the other extreme—They ask, “What line of work does your husband do that makes it affordable for you to stay home? He must make a lot of money. “ While those two scenarios may be the case for some moms that stay home, it’s certainly not the case for all. Many moms that stay home just make choices that financially support their decision. They also learn how to be creative and how to be content. They believe that life isn’t always about them having the most, but simply about them making the most of what they have.
Supermom Tip– Know your value. Don’t allow anyone else define you or determine your value. Whether you work as a stay-at-home mom or work outside the home, YOU MATTER to God, your family, and your community.
Ok, so do you have any myths to add to this list? If you are a stay-at-home mom, have you had to deal with family or friends that held these types of beliefs about you? If you’re a mom that works outside the home, did you ever think any of these myths about stay-at-home moms? I value your feedback and love reading your comments!
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Another myth…. Being a stay at home mom is old fashioned and not for the modern woman. Some people think that being at home makes you a passive uninvolved person. With the right balance and remaining true to who you are, you can be a current woman with much to contribute to society.
I love your comment. So on point!