I’d Rather Work than Stay at Home with My Kids

Disclaimer: I really don’t like to start my posts with a disclaimer but I want to get this one out of the way. I love my children so much. They are the loves of my life, along with my husband and Netflix. But they do have the innate ability to annoy me at times. Yes, I am lucky and blessed to be a mom. But that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to want to do something for me. In this case, that is working outside of the home.

Now that we have that out of the way, I will say it loud and proud. I would rather work full time than stay at home with my children.

Sometimes, when Sunday afternoon rolls around, I wonder how much longer I can take the incessant screaming of my one and four-year-old before they head back to school and the babysitter’s house.

I just heard gasps from all across America. But I promise I am not a monster. This makes me no less of a Mama to my two sweet boys. I just enjoy working—and I don’t enjoy hearing them scream.

This is not selfish, it is something that makes me a better person. And if I want to raise kind, caring, loving, wonderful humans, I need to be the best human I can be. And working makes me a better human.

Work is something I have always enjoyed and taken a lot of pride in. And if I didn’t work, I think I would feel there was something missing in my life.

Stay-at-home moms do not get enough credit. The fact that they don’t lose it is a miracle to me. I can get the kids ready for school and the sitter, drop them off, and go sit in my office with a cup of coffee and enjoy some time away from those grubby little fingers.

Stay-at-home moms are left with the tiny little minions, the housekeeping, cooking, and laundry.

I. WOULD. LOSE. MY. MIND.

I have written so many posts about mom guilt. And I used to feel guilty about working as a mom. I knew that I was missing out on some of my children’s lives, but let’s be honest, I still spend a very large amount of time with them.

We see each other every single morning and every night. We spend our weekends and vacations together.

Yes, I might have missed out on Henry crawling the first time, but I got to see him crawl the second time and the 3,764 times after that.

You know what else I missed out on? About 4,000 poopy diapers, 945 tantrums and that one time he had a blowout that dripped onto the carpet at the babysitter’s house. Thanks Ms. Becky. You’re the real MVP here.

So here is the deal. I LIKE to work. I LIKE my job. I LIKE to work on projects and accomplish tasks I thought I couldn’t do.

And here’s the kicker…

I LOVE TO HAVE A JOB SO I CAN MAKE MONEY!

WHAT?? Did she really just say she likes to work to make money??

I said it! I like having more money so that our family can live a better life. And that is nothing to be ashamed of or feel guilty about.

I like knowing that we are financially secure.

I like to know that if my car gets a flat tire, I can go get a new one because I work my butt off.

I like knowing that if I want to buy a new pair of shoes, I can because I work my butt off.

I like knowing that if my kid really wants a new toy and he deserves it, I can get it for him because I work my butt off.

I like knowing that we can afford to do fun things as a family because both my husband and I work our butts off.

Why, as women, do we feel so guilty talking about money? If you work your butt off, you deserve to be compensated for it!

Disclaimer: Stay at home moms should be paid because you couldn’t pay me enough to do their job.

So if you love working outside the home and don’t feel guilty sending your kids to the babysitter, join the club! I might be the only other person in the world that will admit it, but at least you have me!

So reach out, and let me know if you feel the same way because I am done feeling guilty for working outside the home and admitting that I like to make money. DONE!

And that, my friends, is my honest truth.

Until next time,

Jamie