November Thankful #21

In honor of Thanksgiving, I'm doing daily thankful posts. I'd love it if you'd join me by commenting here or on MichiGal's Facebook page.

November 21

Today I am thankful that I have the wonderful privilege of being a stay-at-home mom.  I am with my kids when they wake up in the morning, when they come home from school, and when they go to bed. If they're sick, I take them to the doctor and bring them home to rest. If they have a day off school, I don't have to scramble to find a babysitter. I know this situation isn't right for every family, but since I was pregnant with my first baby over ten years ago, I knew in my heart that I would never be able to leave my children in daycare. We don't have parents who can babysit for free (or very cheap) full time, and child care for four kids would be through the roof, especially during the summer or other times they're off school.

I absolutely think it's important for my kids to spend time apart from me, and all of them do. Obviously, three of them are in school. They all spend time with grandparents, and the three older kids spend time at friends' houses too. I get out every once in a blue moon with no children in tow, and I think that's vital to my sanity as well. But I am my children's primary caregiver, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Some of my many reasons for loving life as a SAHM:

• If one of my kids gets sick at school, I can go pick him or her up without a lot of fuss.
• If one of my kids needs to stay home from school, I'll be there.
• During the summer and school breaks, we do fun things together that would be much more difficult if we were restricted to weekends.
• We also have time for lazy days when school's not in session.
• I get lots of time with Mathilda and Lucy while Bethany and Connor are in school.
• My kids are able to bring friends home after school.
• I can volunteer at school (although no one ever calls me, but that's another subject...).
• I can run errands during daylight hours instead of in the depressing darkness of Michigan's daylight savings time.
• I can stay home and clean my house all day. Hahahahahahaha! That one was a joke.
• Enjoying a semi-quiet house while the kids are at school. I grew up as an only child, I'm still adjusting to the loud chaotic mayhem of a large-ish family.

There are so many more reasons, but it boils down to this: I am grateful that I can be with my kids as much as I am. I think it's best for them and I know it's best for me. I'm not saying other people's situations don't work out perfectly well for them. I'm just saying that for us, this works. Someday I will probably work outside of the home again, unless I can find a way to make some serious cash from home. I even look forward to having meaningful and fulfilling work that doesn't involve wiping noses and cooking mac 'n cheese. But for now, I can't think of anything more meaningful I could be doing than being home with my kids.