Epiphany #8: The Modern Day Homemaker

For years, I have been preparing to go to college and pursue an education. For a while I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I had interests in being a photographer, maybe even design, psychology, or perhaps a scientist?  Needless to say I was a little confused.Then on the back of my mind remained my all-encompassing goal of one day being a full-time stay-at-home mom. I had always been taught the importance and fulfillment that comes from being there for your kids. To me it sounded nice, but I wasn't convinced that it would be practical. Afterall, we are in the 21st century, and being a mom might not cut it financially. Or would it? That would be a lesson for me to learn this week.

I was sitting in my Family Relations class, and the topic of the day was "Work and Home." Perfect, right? My teacher began to write an equation on the board of the overall income of a family that went from one income to two. This is what it looked like.

$43,000

+23,000

--------------

$41,500

How could this be?!?! That is obviously not the logical math. You can't possibly add two positive numbers together and come out with a sum less than what you started with.  Then he explained that this is what happens to a majority of people who decide that they want to both start working to bring more money into the family. It makes sense too: You think that if you just had a little more, THEN you'd be happy. But once you get there you realize that you can work a little longer to have a little MORE.... and on and on until yes you have a higher standard of living, but your bank account does not reflect such an outward appearance. 

This made me feel a little bit better about my desire to be a homemaker. However, I still had one concern on my mind: How can I stay away from losing my intellect? Doesn't being a mom kind of keep you from the outside world? Enter the assignment for today. My teacher emailed us an article and simply asked us to respond with a paragraph of insights we gained. The article was titled, "Does a Full-Time Homemaker Swap Her Mind for a Mop?" In this article by Dennis Prager, he suggests reasons why the title to his article is so very wrong. He shows many ways that the exact opposite is true. I now suggest that you read this article too. It changed my whole opinion on the academic life of a mother. By being a stay-at-home mom, I can be in tune with the whole world. Whether it be t.v. shows, the news, books, or service opportunities, a mother can and should be looking for ways to become more intellectual. By being a mom, I can still feel fulfilled because I am fully in tune with the world and most importantly my family. This week of class has liberated me in a very real way. As I do these things, I will be fulfilled in what I feel has been my divine destiny all along.