Yesterday morning's hospital ER visit was interesting to say the least. I sadly surmise that we, the stay-at-home moms of America, are in fact, dying off quicker then I thought. The doctor that tended to my little one asked her if she went to day care. Of course my DD had no idea what day care was. She just stared at him blankly. I had to answer for her. "I stay at home with her." I couldn't gage the doctor's reaction.
Later as she was coming back from getting x-rays, the technition asked if I was going to be late to work. I answered I was a stay-at-home mother. Her reaction... "Oh, that's so nice. I don't meet many people who are able to do that anymore. It's quite a luxury!"
That comment, was like nails on a chalk board to me. I was able to hold my tongue but I was thinking of the oh so many things I could say. After all, I knew she was trying to be nice.
Let's look at the definition of luxury: something enjoyed as an addition to the ordinary necessities and comforts of life.
Correct me if I'm wrong, and I'm not complaining here, but how many of us SAHMs have given up what most of the world feels are necessities and comforts of life in order to be where we are? Staying at home for most of us isn't a luxury. It is a choice and usually a sacrifice of material goods for the greater good of raising our children as God called us to.
I really feel more families could obtain the "luxury" of a one income family if they were willing to cut out the real luxuries in their life. Forget the new, stylish car. Go with an old, reliable one. Forget the mall clothes, you can dress fine for much less. Movies, vacations, gadgets, junk food, hobbies, video games, cable tv, lessons of all sorts... when did these things cease to be luxuries and become things people think they have to have?
We should start making commercials like v-8 does- hitting people on the forhead when they choose luxury over children.
4 comments:
Hi, I just found your blog (through a comment on Stacey McDonald's) and I just wanted to say how much a relate to this post. I have actually found myself almost appologetically telling people that I am blessed enough to be able to stay at home with my daughter. Well, I am blessed, but the reason I say it is because I don't want them to think that I'm accusing or judging them for working instead. But, you're right; we who stay at home with our children are making a lifestyle choice to give up many luxuries for the sake of God's blessings. Thank you for the encouragement.
~Bethany
Amen!
I so agree that it's the 2 income families that have the luxuries; including adult conversation, quiet time, and someone else to raise their children.
LOL! I had to laugh at the V-8 comment. While I don't have kids yet, I do work from home and run my own business mainly because of my DH's battle with RSD. But the other day while we were looking at manufactured homes, the sales guy had the audacity to say (in response to finding out that I work at home), "Oh, it must be nice to watch TV whenever you want." Argh! Are people truly that dense? Needless to say, we're not buying our home from him - well, that's because his prices were incredibly higher than others.
When people ask me where I work I say that I'm a mom and leave it at that. Most will say "you work 24/7"
or something like that.
It is a lifestyle choice. We don't have the extras that seem to go along with two incomes. I wouldn't trade any of those extras for the time I get to spend with my girls.
Blessings--
Dana
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