I've been tossing this post around in my head for awhile. I've worn the label "SAHM" on and off for a long time (nearly 7 years), only shedding it about 6-months ago when my husband and I opened a retail wine store.
So, now I'm a Working Mom who, when at home, is still working. I'm working on the business, or I'm working on freelance writing projects, or self-publishing a book (the adorable Dolphin book listed on the left sidebar).
Before the store, I was a Kindermusik Educator. I prepared my materials and learned my songs at home with my girls and took them with me to classes; they reaped the enormous benefits of my job.
After my son was born, I stayed at home again, but I didn't sit still for long. I started writing, this time with income in mind, not just silly poetry for birthdays and anniversaries (I don't mean to say that poetry is silly, I mean that I actually wrote/write very silly verse). A year later I started doing private wine tastings. I worked the business from home, but the events were outside the home.
Now, I work 30 to 40 hours outside of the home and another 30 to 40 hours working inside of the home. Those home-based hours are mixed in with regular at-home duties, like laundry and housekeeping, and mom duties like feeding and bathing the children; not to mention spending a little time just being with them, whether we're playing or reading or cuddling up watching a video (a rare pleasure for me). From 9 to 11pm it's husband/wife-time, but too often we're working or talking about work or returning a child to bed!
I'd have to guess that many, many parents in this country and around the world are living a similarly
We're all in the same boat, people. We just have different functions. Can we start working as a team, respecting and encouraging one another so the boat (i.e. society) sails smoothly?