Let's hear it for stay at home mommy's!

Can I just complain for a second? I am getting so sick of people's shocked reaction when I tell them that I plan on quitting my job when my baby comes. Why is it a bad thing to want to be at home for your child? Working in the higher ed enivornment, I have received so much criticism for our choice for me to quit working at the U. People say stuff to me all the time like, "Wow, are you sure your husband is okay with that" or "don't you worry about losing your identity?". How in the world is that ANYONE'S business? One of my previous colleagues actually told me that me quitting to be a mother is a significant loss. WHAT? It's really unfortunate to see what satan has done to destroy the family. Mothers are valued less for their roles in the home and are praised for achieving a high paying career. No one has ever asked me what influenced me to make this choice and I would gladly tell them why I plan on "just being a mom."

My parents were divorced when I was 6 and I watched as my poor mother had to go back to the work force without an education or any skills to help her land a good job. My biological father was completely absent my entire life and never paid child support. During that time, the Lord blessed us significantly in providing my mother with a good job, good neighbors, and an excellent family to help us out. She worked long hours and still had time to take both my brother and I to ballet class and basketball practice. On top of that, she made sure we were taught the gospel and always took us to church. She is truly my hero and I am forever grateful to her for her sacrifices. More than anything, she wanted to be at home for her children but because of the circumstances my father put us in, she could not.

There are a couple of things I have always wanted. The first being to receive a college education. After watching my mother struggle and work in crappy jobs, at a young age I promised myself that I would go to school and learn skills that would help me in this life. I ended up going to the U of U and became the first woman in my family to receive her bachelor's degree. The second and perhaps greatest thing I have ever wanted was to be at home with my children someday.

I was very different from my friends growing up in the sense that my mother was working while other mom's were lucky to be at home for their kids. I was secretly jealous of those kids in my class whose mom's came and helped out with our school work or other activities. With that being said, I got my degree and Todd and I are now in a place where we feel very strongly about me being home. In a couple of priesthood blessings, we have been promised that Todd would be able to provide financially for our family and would always have a job. I have also been promised that I would be able to be at home for my children. I am going to trust the Lord because he has never let me down.

I am fed up with people minimizing the role of motherhood and I hate it when people say to me, "so, you're going to be a princess and JUST be a stay at home mom?". Anyone who has ever said that never had kids! For those of you who are already mother's, it's not a walk in the park. You're on call 24/7 and hardly ever get a break. Just a mom? HA! Mother's work harder than any professional business person I know and it's high time they get the credit and attention they deserve. Let's hear it for stay at home mommy's!