I’ve caught this blog circulating Facebook and it erkkkks me big time. The underlying theme is how very lucky those of us who get to stay home with our kids really are. Who can argue that? The part that really infuriates me is that anyone, let alone a fellow SAHM, would make us seem like whiney, ungrateful people!
There is no denying that I complain A LOT! My blog is probably here for the sheer opportunity for me to bitch and moan. And the truth is that the more I bitch and moan, the more readers I get. So not only do I bitch and moan here, my readers (you people) actually WANT to hear these gripes.
If someone worked a job with stressful deadlines, and when you talked to them they complained about those stressful deadlines – we’d all understand. You mean to tell me that because I am fortunate enough to spend my day with the most irrational, emotional bosses an employee could ever have – I’m not allowed to complain about the pitfalls of working under these constraints?!?! Because my attire sometimes consists of workout wear, I am not allowed to express the stressors of my day?!?! If I were wearing a suit, would things be different?!!?
I have the unique perspective of having spent THREE years as a working parent. I understand that working and being a mother is very challenging in its own right. I yearned to be a stay at home mom, even though I mourned the loss of my career. And now that I’m a stay at home mom, there are definitely days where I take the luxuries for granted.
The reason that happens is because my day is filled with so very much grunt work, heavy lifting, and drama that it is sometimes hard to see out. I expect a fellow stay at home mom to understand that well enough to not pass judgement on my coping mechanisms. But the truth is that when “we” mothers say that we don’t judge each other, we lie. We are happy when we notice something that we do better than other mothers. We note things that other mothers do that we would like to. It’s the nature of the beast.
I just want to say something large and proud to all of you who may think like the author of “Dear Stay-At-Home-Moms, Shut The Eff Up.” I will not shut the eff up. I am grateful for most every day I spend with my kids. I am grateful that I do not have to have my kids in daycare or with a nanny. But I gave up my career, to do a helluva lot of slave work day in and day out, in exercise clothes and all! I will not feel bad for venting about the struggles I go through. It is helpful for me to vent and helps other people who share the same plight. So take that!
I'm a mother, wife, daughter, and friend. Until recently I was also an employee. Now that I'm a full time mom, I've decided to make my thoughts, concerns and feelings public.
Good for you!! Well said, and I couldn’t agree more. I appreciate and love my children too, that does not mean I can’t complain. They are not angels and my house does not clean itself and grocery bags don’t carry themselves, etc.