A Woman's Place is in the Home

Horrible, isn't it? That phrase, I mean. "A woman's place is in the home." Phrases like that tend to send me into a tizzy. I remember thinking my own mother, who was a stay-at-home mom to four children, was somehow less of a contributing member of society because she didn't have a "real" job. What a jerk I was.

Now that I am a mother, I realize what a sacrifice and what a privilege it is to be able to raise your child/children full time. It is not a way out of real work, it is real work. I used to sit at a desk and shop online (as well as occasionally doing some actual work) all day. I'd go to the gym on my break and hang out in the cafeteria at lunch. I bought nice clothes and went out whenever I felt like it for dinner, drinks, whatever.

Now I stay at home all day, yes. And I probably do watch more daytime television than I used to. But it's not all soap operas and bon bons. It is a 24-hour commitment. This little fella that I am teaching how to be a human doesn't punch out after a 9-5 shift and neither do I. And if I screw up at this job it doesn't mean some report gets misfiled or a client gets pissed off, it means my son suffers. So the stakes are much higher.

I don't get to sleep regular hours. I don't get to take off and spend time/money on myself when I feel like it. I don't get to gossip at the watercooler or go on fabulous vacations. And I spend considerable more time wiping up puke and poop than I used to. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. It really is important and amazing to get to see your child develop on a daily basis. To contribute to that development is a great feeling, too. I can't imagine dropping him off at a babysitter or daycare centre and letting them experience the world with him while I go back to my desk in the Willingdon Business Park. I don't care if it means less money for the trappings and suits of pop culture, I'd wear a burlap sack and use Internet Light if it meant I was able to witness my son's first steps and first words.

So, I guess I owe my mom an apology. Turns out she had a real job all along. And I hope to go into the family business myself when this maternity leave is up next year.