Read this before becoming a stay-at-home mother.
July 21st, 2023, 6:35 A.M., I turned to the sight of my kids’ resting faces. Then an inner voice said, “This is really your daily life on repeat”, I instantly became inspired, and the question, Would you recommend becoming a stay-at-home mother, came to mind.
Here am I a few moments later. I’ve not too long finished bible study and said my morning prayer. Most of my days start like this.
Some call it Stay-at-home mothers, or SAHM for short. Others call it Homemaker. Whichever term you decide to use, making the decision to be at home to provide full-time care for your kids is a sacrifice.
I’ve sacrificed everything. My desired career, my social life, my time being alone, shit! I’ve sacrificed money! With no job, I had no income. (Read this post to see how I generate income).
But I’d rather sacrifice those things, as opposed to sacrificing my kids to get those things.
Too often, “we” spend time on the work site in exchange for money and chasing our dreams, while spending time away from our kids. You may not see the impact this has on your kids now.
Can we at least become a people of faith? Yes, I understand money is important for human survival but,
Matthew 6:33 says,
“Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things would be given to you”.
I have faith in this. There’s no need to worry about earthly things. Be obedient to God’s calling and you will be rewarded with more than you ever desire, or should I say, with what is meant for you.
NOTHING IN THIS WORLD IS more important than me being able to provide care for my kids. They were not given to anyone else; they were given to me, it is an immediate calling on my life. If I am not sure what my purpose in this life is, I know for a fact my main purpose is to be a hands-on mother to these kids, and If God gave them to me, I have faith that God will provide everything they need.
If it means I have to temporarily sacrifice my worldly desires to be obedient to God’s calling on my life then I will. And yes, it is a temporary sacrifice because we all know Kids do not remain kids forever.
Here are a few questions to consider, while you are busy chasing your dreams, Is it in alignment with God’s will for your life? While you are worried about going to work daily, who is around your kids? What are they exposed to; do you know this? do you enjoy going to your job?
For the mothers who need this.
Mothers, can we understand our roles in our kid’s lives? Can we be mindful of our decisions? Our kids are the future. I am not saying to become overprotective, that is up to you, but we can become more protective, and invested in our kids, and that means being present in their daily lives.
As a child, I’ve had access to money when I needed it, and I’ve had clothing more than I ever needed. I had food and all the kids’ friendly snacks, as well as toys. I went to different schools, lower and tertiary. I assume to provide these, is the main reason why mothers spend more time at the workplace. These were never enough to fill that absence. In fact, my experience has created trauma that I was not aware of, until in my mid-twenties and I had to come to terms with this and work on it.
If you do choose to become a stay-at-home mother you must know it is not always easy, it gets lonely, it becomes physically tiring, and it makes you want to tap out.
Laughing out loud… I’m just kidding, (about the tap-out part).
No but for real though. You have to commit yourself. In my case, my kids do not attend school or daycare, (I homeschool), and I do not have a community, which makes motherhood stressful for me at times. But I am aware of my reality so I do what is necessary to keep myself motivated on this stay-at-home journey.
But your reality may be different compared to mine, and there are things you can implement to make it work best for you and yours. You have to be intentional about making it work for you and yours, or else you can become discouraged and choose what is convenient instead of what is the better choice for you and yours.
If you are worried about your income. Understand you are pursuing God’s calling on your life, and if God called you to it, just know you will be taken care of. I love re-reading the book The Purpose Driven Life when I feel lost, I strongly recommend you read it.
That’s all from me for this post and I pray you found value.
