Have you ever encountered people who had no idea what it’s like to be a stay-at-home mother? It’s sometimes comical what they think we do all day.
Before I even became a mom, I was living in a single family home in a college town. One Halloween night, I was prepared with my basket of chocolate goodies to greet trick or treaters at the door.
Ding dong.
I open the door to find a young adolescent boy wearing a green avocado facial mask, pajamas, a robe, and fuzzy slippers. “And what are you tonight?” I ask inquisitively.
“A housewife.”
That didn’t bother me too much back then. In fact, I thought he was kinda funny to think of such an original costume.
But ask me now, and I’ll be like, “What?! He has no idea that we stay-at-home moms don’t sit around all day in our pajamas relaxing with facial masks!”
In fact, when I posted this question on my Facebook status, “Those of you who are stay at home moms, what are some common misconceptions people have had about your job?” I received a lot of common misconceptions! Thanks to all who shared! Here are 8 of them.
1. That I sit around and do nothing all day or that I have so much more time to get things done then those that work outside the home. ~Annie H.
2. It seems to me that many people believe that as a SAHM I have all the time in the world. Its something a lot of people consider as being “easy and low key”. ~Jennifer K.
3. People assume that you don’t do anything fun because you don’t have as much $$. ~Anonymous
4. That we have everything under control. ~Joy B.
5. That it’s easy & they don’t understand how i could “stay at home all day” & how it would drive “them” crazy. it’s far more difficult than i thought it would be when i wanted it working a 9-5. i was so organized on the job but often feel like a failure here at home. but i love it & would never trade it. ~Donna G.
6. I agree with Donna. I currently work from home and it is much harder to get things done. When I was going to the office everyday, I kept on top of all my task and projects. Now I feel like I can’t seem to focus on anything let alone finish my to do list everyday. ~Regina H.
7. A big misconception that I’ve had is that people assume that you can take on all the extras…babysitting, taking care of an older relative, running an errand for someone, etc. They don’t seem to understand that I keep my plate full all by myself, and that although I’m happy to help out, I don’t want to ALL the time. ~Heather L.
8. I work at home too and they think they can come by unannounced or call and chat all day because after you really don’t do anything. ~Sheryl M.
So there you have it, straight from other stay-at-home mothers!
Can these misconceptions sometimes hinder us from being the best stay-at-home moms we can be? You bet.
But these misconceptions can also springboard us into ways of thinking about it that’ll help us rise above them and embrace our profession.
What are some ways you’ve risen above those common misconceptions?
Tags: mindset
