Mothers

I know that Mother's Day was last month, but refer to my previous post for my crazy month of May.

I recently read a book called In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms by Laura Schlessinger. I don't want to bash working moms in any way, but being a stay at home mom is a decision that I've made right now and I appreciated reading a book that gave me confidence in my decision. (If anyone else has ever wondered if staying at home with your kids is really the best thing for your family, I'd definitely recommend this book.)

In honor of Mother's Day and my deeper commitment and joy in motherhood, I thought I'd post a few reasons why I've chosen to be a stay-at-home mom:

• I can oversee what my children eat and provide them with healthy meals.
• I can be there when a teaching opportunity presents itself, specifically a spiritual teaching opportunity. They come and go quickly and I want to be there when they come.
• I can ensure they'll learn their ABCs, their colors and numbers, be read to every day, learn nursery rhymes, take trips to the library, sing primary songs, visit the park, and more.
• I can provide an environment where the Spirit can be felt.
• I can devote my time to the kids, cleaning the house, finances, cooking, and more. Not working allows me to balance my time and put attention where it's needed, rather than be stressed and pulled in 100 different directions.
• It makes me happy.
• I believe my kids will learn to trust me and know that when they have a problem, they can come to me and I'll listen.
• I believe it makes me a better person by sacrificing so much for someone else.
• I can easily take the kids to the doctor for appointments or when they're sick without worrying about having to take off work. 
• I can take the kids on fun, educational trips (like San Diego in April; Colorado in May; Wyoming and Utah in July; and trips to see grandparents) without worrying about how much vacation time I have.
• Lastly, so I can see these two sweet and precious spirits each and every day, all day. 

Motherhood is probably the hardest thing I've ever done. It's required me to give more of myself than I have ever given. It has taught me patience, love, and commitment. It has taught me to keep going when I feel like I have nothing left. It has taught me perspective and how when we change little ways we see things, life can be so much happier.

I am so appreciative for the sacred calling I've been given to be a mom, a Mama, a mother, and a friend. I am also grateful that I am in a position to be a stay-at-home mom and for a wonderful husband to make that possible. As I've told Brian before, I'm living my dream. It's not always glamorous or easy, but it's my dream.

*Again, working mothers please do not take offense at this post. I know different situations work better for different families. This post wasn't written to prove that stay-at-home mothers are better than working moms. This is just a topic that I've thought a lot about lately and I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings why I've chosen to be a stay-at-home mom.