Missing My Stay-at-Home Mom Days

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Last year at this time, I was a stay-at-home mom. And part of my stay-at-home mom duties were getting Faith ready for school in the mornings and getting her there on time. I was also the one who was in constant contact with her teacher, her instructional aides, and her therapists. Part of the fun of taking Faith to school was getting a chance to visit with those who looked after her throughout the day.
 
After coming home from dropping Faith off, I would have breakfast and enjoy some quiet time. At least once or twice a week, I would call my friend Tina, or she would call me, and we would talk for at least an hour. Being home gave me a chance to work on my writing, to join a morning women's bible study, to take a nap if we had a rough night or cook and clean at my leisure. 

It was nice being a stay-at-home mom. But I did find that if I didn't get out of the house, I would go a little stir-crazy.
Another great stay-at-home-mom duty was to join Faith on her fun field trips!

Everything changed when my husband lost his job and we found ourselves with no source of income and no health benefits. One of us had to find a job and fast! And so it was that October of last year, I went from stay-at-home mom to working mom and all the changes that went along with it.

Some of those changes were good - Rob would be home with Faith doing all of the lifting and dealing with her not-wanting-to-go-to-school morning meltdowns. Some of the changes were more challenging like not having as much time with Faith and trying to squeeze in a pacemaker battery change during Thanksgiving so I wouldn't miss any training at my new job.

I must say though that with the role reversal - Rob has done extremely well. He keeps up with the cleaning, the laundry and does what he can to help out with the evening meal. He is also in charge of getting up with Faith in the middle of the night and getting her back to sleep which means more sleep for me. He really is a great stay-at-home dad, and he loves doing it!

Putting Faith's new stander together and getting her in her stander are great dad duties!

Yesterday Rob and I took Faith to her school's open house where she got to see her classroom and talk to her teacher - whom she has known since Faith started school there. For whatever reason, she and Faith were sort of drawn to one another. 

When we saw her third-grade teacher yesterday she said, "Oh Faith, we've been waiting for this moment since kindergarten!"

Faith at her desk in her third-grade classroom

Taking this week off to spend time with Faith and get her ready for a new school year along with being back in the school made me miss my stay-at-home mom days. I feel really blessed to have stayed home with Faith for nearly three years. And though there are days I struggle with being a working mom, I believe for reasons known and unknown, this is God's present plan for not only me, but my family as well.

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