We’ve seen a lot of those “what society thinks I do…” photo memes lately. I’m not going to post one here, but It got me thinking. People don’t really understand what the work-at-home parent does. It’s a delicate balance between the worlds of stay-at-home and working parents. Here’s my take on it…
The Stay-At-Home
What I DO
- Play with kids
- Read to/with kids
- Sing and dance to kids songs
- Change diapers (hopefully for just a few more months)
- Run errands
- Cook healthy meals
- Bake bread (sometimes)
- Clean the house
- Sew and do crafts with my six-year-old
- Break up sibling fights
- Monitor TV and computer time
What I DON’T Do
- Grocery shopping. My husband does it on Sundays because he enjoys the thrill of the coupon hunt.
- All of the laundry. We share the laundry duties.
The Working Parent
What I DO
- Am committed to my profession
- Set goals for myself and schedule appropriate time to achieve them
- Learn new skills and stretch myself with each project I take on
- Feel good about earning money and contributing to the family budget
What I DON’T Do
- Work a full 40. Just can’t quite manage that yet. Maybe when my youngest is in school.
- Commute.
- Wear shoes all day. (BEST part of working at home!)