At Home Mom?
Last month I had surgery. For the past 4 weeks I have lived the life of a “stay-at-home mom”, and I’ve been with my eleven year old 24 hours a day. I’ve been there for his every need and every question, “Mom, if you were a two-headed-dragon, what would each head be like?”, “Mom, if you had 3 left hands and 1 right hand, what would you do with each hand?”, “Mom . . . “. OMG!
I have always envied the stay-at-home mothers in the neighborhood, and I always knew it was a lot of work, but I was not prepared for the changes that I needed to make as a mother. I LOVE MY SON! I LOVE BEING A MOM! I love being a nurturer, teacher, guide, and protector, but I NEED the hustle and bustle of the unknown that comes with my job. I need the adult camaraderie, adult conversations, and the exposure that comes from meeting interesting new people.
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- © ShortbreadSwee-T’s
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- © ShortbreadSwee-T’s
So, what have I been up to? I’ve organized my household, and I’VE BEEN BAKING GOURMET SHORTBREAD COOKIES! With my brain cells on “tranquil” I decided I wanted to revamp some home-made recipes and shortbread cookies have become my specialty. So, I’ve been baking like a pastry banshee (wee hours of the morning, middle of the night, etc.), and I’m still working on new variations. Shortbread cookies are all I think about these days. I think it even replaced my need to write. How funny is that? I use to wake up in the middle of the night wondering about what I needed to clear up at the office the next day. Now, I sleep through the night. I wake up rested, and I spend time thinking about new flavors for my cookies. My son helps out by pitching his ideas and I try to make it happen, lol! It’s been different for me, but it’s been fun too. I can’t help flashing back on my childhood memories of my mom cooking and baking and creating great recipes, and she’s still at it. Those are great memories.
These past 4 weeks have given me a different outlook on parenting. Me as a working mother and me as a stay-at-home mother are two different mothers, and my thoughts are on how to merge the two. I need to be more than the provider of food, shelter, tutoring, and transportation. I need to “up the ante” as they say. I need to bring home the bacon AND envision myself as a dual-headed-tri-armed-super-mom who shoots shortbread cookies at villains and conquers all evil. My son and I have interacted on a different level, and now I see that I need to lighten-up more often. I also need to create more tranquil moments that will keep me at peace (at work and at home).
Even though I don’t miss my sixty-miles-a-day journey, after all is said and done, I am so ready (so very, very ready) to go back to work. It has taken me 4 weeks to realize that I need my job as much as it needs me (if not more). Spending time with my son and baking every day has been a good experience for me, but my son needs people his own age who also wonder about 2 heads and 3 left hands. I need to shoot the breeze about the day by day activities in life and how to be a better person, but like I’ve said before, life is just one lesson after another. The trick is to learn something along the way.
Peace and blessings.
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SweetPoet65's Memoirs 
Can’t wait to taste some of those cookies and if you come up with a spectacular flavor, market them. I hope you are feeling well.
Lol! I’m getting better every day. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing. I have been a stay at home mom for 2 years and it’s the hardest, most challenging job I ever had. Sometimes, stay at home moms get looked at as lazy and unmotivated which couldn’t be further from the truth. You are constantly on and never get a break. There are no sick days or days off from work. Yes, there are of course advantages to being a stay at home mom but I think everyone falls into place where they belong. Some moms are not meant to be stay at home moms and some really enjoy it. Either way, motherhood is tough so thanks for sharing your experience. Visiting from Linked in and Mommy Masters. Come visit back at http://www.mommymasters.blogspot.com and http://www.facebook.com/mommymasters.
Thanks Ellis. Being a stay-at-home mom has never been an available option for me, so I was excited to have the opportunity to try it out. I have a few friends that are stay-at-home moms and I have a huge amount of respect for them. Like I said in my post, I’m living & learning, and I’m loving every minute of it. Thanks again.