How many of you had a stay at home mom ...?

Question

and you thanked them for their sacrifices? I think it all depends on your experience. My mom was a SAHM, and she was too busy running errands, doing household chores and keeping the house tidy, than spending quality time with us. She was also pretty cranky alot. I wished all the time she would get out of the house and work. Did anyone else feel that way growing up with a SAHM?

Answer 1

My mother was a woman who worked full time, earned her bachelor's degree, and did all of the chores a sahm does.  She is amazing!  I know she would have loved to stay home full time and just take care of us and the house, but there were bills to pay.  My mother is a great role model.  

Answer 2

My mother was a SAHM, until I was in the 6th grade.

She was a bit cranky, but turns out she had a hormonal imbalance.

I thank her for what she did for me and my siblings.

She kept a tidy house, cooked, ran errands, but always had time for us and our friends.

Answer 3

I think that moms that ALWAYS stay home ( when the kids are in school) lose themselfs . i plan on going back as soon as my kids hit Kindergarden

Answer 4

I am an SAHM but I had an SAHD. It was great; he picked me up from pre-school, made me lunch, gave me a nap and then we'd play together and I learned things that some girls don't.

Answer 5

My mother stayed at home and sometimes I wished that she wouldn't be home when I got home from school (terrible I know). The only good thing about it was dinner was always ready at a reasonable time. My father worked and I was so excited when we came home...I anticipated it. Great question!

Answer 6

Sort of. My mom had to quite teaching/counseling because of her heart condition and she was constantly running to League of Women Voters, PEO, PTA, the Art Center and other places she volunteered. She taught art classes in our basement for a while. She was constantly reminding me that she "had" a career and "had" to give it up. That if she was not ill, she'd be back at work. I personally didn't understand why, if she could be that active, she couldn't work part time as a guidance counselor. The school district definitely needed the help.

She did cook fabulous dinners and we had a cleaning lady to keep the house tidy.

With my dad home in the summer (also a guidance counselor) they spent TONS of quality time with me, their only child.

I wish my mom could have had her career since she was so unhappy and desperate to prove herself as not "just a wife and mom" without it. I would have been fine as a latch key kid. As an only child I am sure it was good for me to go to daycare when she was working and I loved school. I would have been fine at a sitter's after school or, since they would both have been home within a 1/2 hour after I got home if I walked, the latch key kid thing would not have been even enough to watch an after school TV show in peace and quiet.

Anyway, I get what you mean. I am going back to work full time now that my youngest is going to kindergarten and I am way happy. I get the feeling my teenagers especially are happy, too.

To each her own as far as that choice goes, but I think the statistics about kids in daycare are overblown in the negatives. Kids will thrive in most any positive environment.

Answer 7

Wow, I didn't have the experience you did. I guess we were totally blessed with a wonderful SAHM! She raised six kids, and I was the fifth of those. The sixth came 10 years after me, so I was raised like the 'baby' of the family...

She was a teacher before she married, and frankly was the epitome of what one would think a SAHM would be. She totally did things with us all the time - fun things, learning activities, games, baking...  She didn't drive, so she wasn't taking off during the day to run errands and stuff.

Also, once we were in school, we were coming home to homemade bread/buns, treats and always home cooked meals.

I totally always let her know how wonderful it was that she did this for us.

My best way to honour her was to do the same as she did! I, too, was a teacher, and became a SAHM once my husband and I had our son. I've done the same things - and probably more, just because resources are different these days - and our family has totally been happy and totally benefited from this. My son has always been thrilled to have a SAHM.

I'm sorry you felt you had a bad experience - but I'll bet if you think really hard with an open heart, you will also remember wonderful things.

Answer 8

when you see someone too much you get tired of that person... specially if she nags alot. my mom was a SAHM too and she was also too busy doing other things other than spending time with us... its ironic huh? But I tried being a SAHM myself and I think it all depends on how the mom would be able to keep the house together and at the same time be able to do things with her kids... Your kids are actually more important than those lousy house chores..

Answer 9

I had like half and half.  My mom was a SAHM until my parents got divorced when I was 11, then she had to work.  I think of the two, I preferred a working mom.  She just seemed happier, and while she was busier, it was a good thing because she felt a sense of accomplishment.  I'm not saying being a SAHM is a bad thing, but it's not for everyone.

Answer 10

My mother was a SAHM until my dad left us.  I was in the 5th grade.

Either way, I appreciate her staying home.  When I was 4 I could read, write my name, do simple math... she taught me a lot.  I also appreciated having summers off as a school child and being able to run and play instead of being put in a structured childcare program.

I'm now a SAHM to my children.

The only times I ever wished she was a working mother was when my friends with working mothers had lavish toys and designer clothes.  In the end, though, the summers spent doing whatever I wanted instead of having to follow someone else's structure was way better than anything else!

Answer 11

My mom only worked/works 1 or 2 days a week and I'm very glad she was at home with me most of the time. That said, when she worked I very much enjoyed quality time with my grandmothers on both sides of the family.  

Answer 12

my mom didnt work until I was 4. But now since I take care of my little sister during the day because I am home schooled my mom doesn't need to stay home.

But I think that it is the opposite, the working moms probably have much more work than stay at home moms, because they have to have a job while doing the house work.

Answer 13

no i did not, in fact she would even bring us to lectures when we was to small for kindergarden while we slept

i am very happy my mom raised me as she did, she made me a well functioning human, i got a sleeping heart like no one else, and the ability to think things through before making a descision that can affect me negativly..as well the strength and motivation to go for what i want in this world

i'd never even think about doing my kids any less of a favor

Answer 14

I loved my mom being a SAHM. That's part of the reason I am too. The time she spent with us you can't get back. She was very attentive. She would have everything done early morning or at night before we were awake with the exception of dinner and she would devote her days pretty much to my brother and I. It was great. She was very active and I enjoyed all the time I had with her especially when my brother started school and it was just she and I during the day.

Answer 15

My mother was a housewife. She had my 3 other siblings to take care of and the house to maintain spotless. She was always there for us but she was always busy until bedtime. I stayed home myself-while working from my home office when I raised my daughter and she was pretty happy about that.