Giving Thanks #1: My Job

In honor of Thanksgiving, I decided it would be neat to do a series of posts on things for which I'm thankful.  I'm not sure how many I'll do.  You'll just have to be in suspense.  We could use a little more suspense around here.

I don't talk about it much, but one of the things for which I'm thankful every day is that I get to be a stay-at-home-mom for Camilla. 

There are a lot of different ways that couples deal with the dual challenges of providing household income and caring for their children.  Both parents work out of the home, or one or both work at home, or one works and the other cares full-time for the kids.  (I guess there are probably also families with two stay-at-home parents, but those are the independently wealthy families and we don't need to worry about them.)

One thing I've noticed is that many people, and especially women, seem at least somewhat unhappy with their family's solution.  They work outside the home but they've had to sacrifice time with their children, or they stay home with their children and love it but they've had to sacrifice extra income and pinch to make ends meet, or they stay home with their children because they think it's a good thing but they've had to sacrifice a job which they really liked.

I won't go into much detail about how we got here - except to say that we always assumed I'd stay home with our child(ren), and planned ahead accordingly - but I will say that I feel incredibly blessed that our current solution to the income/childcare challenge is meeting our needs nearly perfectly.  (I say "nearly" because our perfect ideal would be the independently-wealthy two-stay-at-home-parents solution, but that's not happening any time soon.)  Bryan likes to go to work and I like to stay home with our daughter, and each of us feels that we've got the better end of the deal. 

He says he'd go crazy doing what I do.  The best full-time job I've ever had was nothing more than a paycheck to me, so I don't feel like I'm missing anything.  And there's never been anything that I did day-in and day-out that I was as good at, and that made me as happy, as this full-time motherhood thing. 

I love that every morning I get to wake up to meet my daughter's little blue eyes, and that every day I get to be with her, and that every night I get to go to bed secure in the knowledge that we'll be together the next day, too.  I know that if our circumstances were different this might not be possible.  I'm grateful that it is.

Comments

[Lindsay]

I'm thankful for you and your friendship. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, too.

[Caroline]

Beautifully put, Arwen.

[parodie]

Very lucky indeed.
You seem most excellent at your job - a perfect combo!

[Jen]

I had just decided to do a series of posts on what I am thankful for too. I decided to do mine for Christmas though. I haven't decided yet whether to start on December 1st or Friday, which is when I get out Christmas decorations.

[Margaret]

So beautiful Arwen! It is truly a blessing for you to be able to stay at home with Camilla!

[Margaret]

So beautiful Arwen! It is truly a blessing for you to be able to stay at home with Camilla!

[Shelby]

What a blessing that you and Bryan are both so happy in what you do!

[Hoo]

I've done every permutation - at home, full time, part time, except the two parents at home thing - but the best was being at home full time. Enjoy!

[Diane]

I'm so glad that you are able to make this situation work for you. You are definitely meant to be at home with that little girl. Happy Thanksgiving!

[Ellen]

Being able to stay home with Camilla is a blessing, indeed. I can't imagine a better full-time job.

[Sarah]

This is my dream job
To stay at home with my kids
It was my life goal.

When I was thirteen
My plan for my life was to
Be a stay-home mom.

I never did find
A job that I liked more
Than "stay-at-home-mom".

My husband would love
To stay home too, if he could.
Alas, finances!

[Maggie]

Yay. Happy Thanksgiving!

[Michelle]

Being a stay at home mom has always been my dream job. I am lucky too that I get to do live that dream. I thank God every single day (ok, just about everyday!) that I have this pleasure. I love my girls - and although they have turned my hair gray, given me agida, and there are days I say I'd sell them to the gypsies, I know that it is truly a blessing that I am home with them. I was raised by a SAHM and wanted so much to be able to do the same. I'm grateful that my DH is able to provide the income for the family. He'd also never be able to stay home with the girls and stay sane. Way too much Princess pink going on for him.

[Kim]

Happy thanksgiving to you and yours! I know you have much to give thanks for.

[Kate]

Happy Thanksgiving! Lovely post. I've run out of brain cells to say something meaningful, so I'll leave it at that.

[Keri]

Happy Thanksgiving!

[cjmr]

My husband and I have occasional discussions about who has the harder job. I say I could never do what he does, and he says he could never do what I do.

Still, I am very thankful that I can be a stay-at-home mom with only marginal sacrifices (like not taking expensive vacations) being needed.

[Charlotte]

You have written my feelings on the matter to the letter. I feel so blessed to be at home with Ivan everyday. Even on the toughest days there is nowhere else I want to be.

I've always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and am so grateful that I am able to do so.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[louise]

Well said, and I heartily agree.

[Christiana]

I am so excited that I may get the chance to stay at home wiht our baby-to-be. I feel the same way about my current job that you did - it's really just a paycheck, even if it's better than previous jobs I've had. I'm ready to be at home wiht our little one and I cannot wait to get started. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[Lisa]

Staying home is a real blessing. It is going to be a lifestyle adjustment for us, but it is so nice to know we have the ability to live on one income while I stay home with our baby.

[sheilah]

My job is a paycheck as well. I do like what I do and I am good at it, but I think I would have liked to be home with Evan too. Especially when he was as young as Camilla.