Tuesday, September 4, 2012

What Work-at-Home Moms Do

We had a conversation the other day.

Me: "I feel like I don't have any breaks from work and kids. Maybe I should find a job because some moms tell me that working feels like rest to them compared to raising babies!" (never mind that I already have a job, a part time one from home)
Husband: "Maybe, you wouldn't be so exhausted."
Me: "At least you get a break from work every now and then."
Husband: "I work so that you don't have to."

I have to admit, sometimes the routine of raising babies (and the unpredictability) wears me out big time. No easy feat. But I have to keep reminding myself that if I was working full time outside the house, I would be dreaming to be where I am right now - home with my kids! 

Rocking fussy baby to sleep: 6 hours per week

Nursing and feeding kids: 20 hours per week

Food Prep, Cooking, Baking: 21 hours/week

Part time online job: 10 hours/week

Part time blogging job: 11 hours/week (yes, that would be Eco-Babyz)

Additional time I spend on work because of interruptions and not being able to just sit down and finish a task I started: 2 hours/week

Wiping butts and emptying potties: 2 hours/week

Dressing children and doing Baby E's hair: 2 hours/week

Laundry: 6 hours/week

Cleaning: 6 hours/week

Dishes: 6 hours/week

Refilling water filter: 1 hour/week

Taking out recycling: 1 hour/week

Taking kids outdoors: 7 hours/week

Teaching: 7 hours/week (reading to toddler, writing letters and numbers, etc.)

Calming crying babies: 4 hours/week

Walking with Baby T: 7 hours/week (he can't walk without holding my hands yet)

Building forts: 1 hour/week

Listing Craigslist items for sale: 30 minutes/week

Time spent thinking about/planning what we're eating for the next meal: 1.5 hours/week

Hobbies (photography): 2 hours/week

TOTAL: 124 hours per week (paid in kisses, hugs, and love)

Having a husband who works 50 to 56 hours a week so that I can 'stay home' and do all of the above: PRICELESS!!!

Do you have a hard working husband? Isn't it tough to put yourself in his shoes sometimes? How about him, does he realize how much work you do at home?

(PS: It has been brought to my attention that some people may understand this sarcastically - that I 'work' 100+ hours and my husband works 56 being priceless. I REALLY DO MEAN THAT. It is incredibly priceless to me that he works really hard so that I can stay home and enjoy raising our children! In no way did I mean that he 'works less'. I am so lucky to be able to stay home and work from home and I know he appreciates the work I do!)


  1. Wow i dont know how you time this girl, i don't keep track of things i do not including timing everything.

    1. Haha, I don't time things lol :) I'm the least 'timely' person I know. Like we have a schedule, but we don't say, okay it's 3 pm - nap time! It's more of a flow to the day. I just estimated all of the above, which is easy, I just think about how much time I spend on something in one day and multiply by 7. :) I didn't actually write down the amount of time I spent on something!

  2. I too felt that way at one time, while we were raising our three children. We would go to company dinners and some of the ladies would be smugly saying what they do for a living and then they would ask me. For a while it would bother me and I felt degraded. But God called me to be a mom and I did just that. I wouldn't change one minute of it either. We would have eaten more prepared foods, spent more on a second car and in repairs, paid for day care, not have time needed with the kids and I would still have to do the dishes and laundry. You will never be sorry for the time you have given to your family and they will remember down the road. I know it is tire some right now but it will pass. Thanks for sharing. You are a good mom and Wife, just remember that. =)

    1. Thank you Diane, some encouragement from a mom with grown kids is exactly what I needed :) I appreciate your comment!

  3. I agree... it's amazing how much work goes into keeping the kids and household going and we just don't get enough credit!

    1. It is a lot of work, at least we fellow moms understand each other. But I've got to say that we often don't understand what goes into being a dad too! It might seem easy, but they have so much to worry about!

  4. It is definitely a full time job for sure!

  5. My husband works so hard so that some time in the future I can quit my job and just stay home. Luckily I only have to work part time (well, OUT of the house, anyway.) but I can't wait to be a stay at home mom. It's a lot of work, but it's the best job in the world. =)

  6. You know it's funny that you mention all of this, because what you described is EXACTLY what we used to argue about all the time. We are a young couple (both 20-years-old), and have been married two years. On top of all that, I ended up getting pregnant only a few months after getting married. On a daily basis we juggle: My husband's job, going to school, taking our 15 month old son to and from my mom's house, running errands, cleaning, AND doing homework. IT'S EXHAUSTING! We were 18-years-old when we first got married, and hadn't even began to take on adult responsibilities. Needless to say that when the "honey-moon" phase was over, we did our fair share on immature bickering. Now looking back at ourselves only two short years ago, and looking at what we do now it's like night and day. We have grown-up so much, and have learned to appreciate all the hard work we put into our family. My husband supports us by himself, and works incredibly hard to make sure we have a nice home to live in. I admire him for sticking by my son and I, and stepping up as a man and father. He also reciprocates that empathy when he sees me sacrificing all of me (Not to mention my sanity at times lol) to ensure all the small details are taken care of. I never let a bill go under my radar. However, there will always be bad days when we can't see outside ourselves. It's a learning and growing process for both of us. :)

    1. We were 25 and 26 when we had our first baby, thankfully we had two years of marriage before the baby came, it made it a little easier. But it was my first time staying home, not working. We never argue about it, it's more like a conversation - because even though we both KNOW how hard it is to either work to support the family or to stay home raising children, we still point fingers, sometimes unintentionally. We do however understand and support each other, I know my husband really appreciates the work I do at home, and vice versa :)

  7. I'm a WAHM mom too. My husband works very hard at his 9-5 and in our family business. His help and support is definitely priceless. I don't think I tell him enough, so thank you for the reminder! Some people can't understand why I choose to have my 2.8 yr old son home with me and not in a school/daycare program at least part of the week. I am blessed to have the opportunity to be home with my child and be a mom, the role I have always wanted. Why would I give it up so easily to a teacher/care provider, etc? I've been waiting my whole life to be a mom, I'm not letting someone else raise my son! -Stefanie


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