That Dreaded Question for SAHMs

It’s the question stay-at-home moms dread.

School is about to begin. Emmy will be in full day Kindergarten, and Lily will be in second grade this year. I will be going back to work part time again, teaching preschool. But I still hear this question.

“What are you going to do with yourself?”

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Oh, I don’t know. *dripping with sarcasm.*

Maybe I’ll finally catch up on laundry and have some clean clothes in my closet. Maybe I’ll be able to go to the grocery store without two little kids hanging on my carts, threatening to tip it over. Maybe I’ll be able to strip the horrid pink wallpaper off the bathroom walls and paint them, as I’ve been meaning to do ever since we bought this house NINE YEARS AGO.

I’ll wade knee-deep into Emmy’s room and go through all her clothes and her toys. I’ll sweep up all the cobwebs in the corners and banish the spiders. Watch out, dust bunnies, you’re next! I’m going down to the basement to empty boxes that haven’t been empty since 2003.

Oh, I know all my plans will probably go by the wayside, as I’ll be busy making lunches, laying out clothes and volunteering in my children’s classrooms. I may also take the time to write more, both on my blog and perhaps a side project I’m working on. Will I actually finish reading a book for my book club?

Did I mention that I said I would teach Sunday school again? To sixth graders. I’ll be polishing up my resume as well. We can’t afford for me to be a stay-at-home mom forever.

During the writing of this post, I scrambled eggs for breakfast, handed out vitamins, and emptied the bottom half of the dishwasher.

You’ll excuse me while I go empty the top half.

 

Second Blooming

This rant brought to you courtesy of Gretchen’s Spin Cycle prompt “work”.

What are you planning to do once school starts?
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14 Replies to “That Dreaded Question for SAHMs”

  1. OH baby, you are preaching to the choir here! I identified with EVERY WORD. I also just pinned that picture on Pinterest! I have SO much I need to do that never gets done! I can't wait to get this boy back to school and attack those dust bunnies!

    You are so linked!
    My recent post Workin' It

  2. The dust bunnies have morphed into dust dinosaurs. The are charging the boys, but I juggle full time work with full time momhood, so something has to give.
    Love the people who think just because the kids are not at home you'll be bonbon eating and watching soaps. Hoe those bonbons taste good while on the go.

  3. {Kathy} My youngest is 9. I have 4 children. When someone asks me what I will be doing while they are in school, I sort of want to say, “Ummm. Work. You know that stuff that you don’t want to do, but HAVE to do.” I also say, “Oh my second shift of work starts at 2:30 and runs for 8 hours from there.” Taking care of kids after school, doing homework, cooking and cleaning all the while……it’s called work. Great work. But work. I have been on both sides of the Working In and Working Out of the home. They both have their challenges, but being 100% available to my kids has more rewards than any paycheck could ever deliver.

  4. How could people ask that! What they should be saying is "Wow, now while they are in school you will be able to get caught up on housework, etc.! How can they not know?

  5. I heard this question a lot when I chose to be a SAHM and it's still being asked. There's never a shortage of stuff to do for any mom is there? I'd even go further and say it's true for any woman! So ridiculous. I really enjoyed this post. Thank you!
    My recent post August Urgency

  6. Haha…I know that feeling well….there's never enough time to get everything done is there?
    My husband actually wondered why I was called a "stay-at-home" mom when I was always out volunteering at school, chaperoning field trips, teaching Sunday School/VBS/Bible study, driving kids to soccer/swimming/dance/baseball, attending appointments/conferences/PTA meetings, shopping for food/clothes/gifts, etc., etc.
    Being a mom IS a fulltime job….24/7/365 ~ I have no idea when I could have ever squeezed another "job" into my very full schedule = )

  7. Every day I think, "I do more as a SAHM by 9 a.m. than most people who work outside the home…."
    I will never ask that question of a SAHM whose kids start school! 🙂

    And, maybe you WILL finish a book for your book club; that would be great! 🙂

  8. LOL! Love it! Ginny M, you always bring a smile to my face. Been gone from blogging for too long! Time for a come back…

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