Is Being A Stay-At-Home Mom meant for you?

I work with a lot of parents who carry around guilt for any number of things. I have to say that mostly its mothers. The dialogue that goes on their head is something like this: “I should be spending more time with my kids. I should spend more time helping out at school. I should be working instead of playing with my kids. I should bake more. ” Does that sound like you?

Before kids most of us had an image of what life would be like or the way we wanted it to be and so we made the necessary adjustments to make that happen. Sometimes the outcome of the decisions we make is not what we expected. Sometimes the personal fulfillment we anticipated just doesn’t happen.

When I was growing up virtually every mom was a stay-at-home mom. Who would have ever thought we would even be using such a term? Now many women have a choice to stay at home or not and there are others who don’t have the choice. It’s an economic necessity to work outside of the home.

Does working outside the home make you less of a mother than one who stays home? What is your definition of a good mother? I have come across many mothers who stay home because that is their choice. Some love it but others feel unfulfilled and become easily irritated by the many mundane demands of parenting. Can you be the best parent you can be if you’re staying home out of guilt when you would rather be working outside the home? Can you be the best parent you can be if you’re irritable most of the time? Don’t your children deserve to see the best of you even if they might have less of you? For some, working outside the home makes them a better parent. What’s wrong with that?

What do you need in your life to bring out the best of who you are? It might be that staying home with your children is the best thing for you. It may be that working even part-time outside the home is what you need to be your best. We only get one chance at this job of raising kids. Don’t they deserve to see the great person you really are, most of the time? If you’ve chosen to be a stay-at-home mom but finding it’s bringing out the worst in you, think again if your decision is really the best one for everyone.