Stay at Home Mania

Life has done a complete turn around for me in the sense of my role. In the last year I went from working to being a stay at home mom. We decided that I would stay at home to take care of our daughter and The Husband would bring home the Bacon. This was a big decision on my part, and I never realized what a tough decision it would be! Don’t get me wrong, I am so happy and grateful that I am able to spend this time seeing my daughter grow and change – but it can get painfully lonely…

Usually from about 8 AM – 7 PM, it’s just my sweet Spawn and I doing our own thing. By the time The Husband comes home in the evening I am usually frantically trying to put dinner on the table, while making sure the Spawn isn’t trying to eat an electric cord or something else dangerous. I will usually only get my “alone time after 10 PM”. This is when I do whatever work I need or just sit and watch a show. Usually I am too tired and will just go to sleep!

This last week The Husband was traveling for work so it was just the Spawn and I all day everyday for one whole week! I mastered the art of showering + washing my hair in 3 minutes. Three minutes because that’s the amount of time the Spawn would sit and play inside her cage aka crib before she would start screaming like a banshee. I’ve also realized not to freak out. For example, when I cook the Spawn is usually roaming around the kitchen playing with empty water bottles or Tupperware that I leave on the floor. In between she will get bored and start cruising and find that one small thing that on the floor and proceed to eat it. Today she found a small piece of broccoli that fell and I just looked at her and thought in my head “at least it’s broccoli and not plastic.”

As I was giving my lovely Spawn a bath tonight, all I could think of was how exhausted I was! This has been the longest I’ve gone taking care of my sweet Spawn with no help of The Husband! I couldn’t help but think of the single parents who have absolutely no help, much less no emotional support. Even though The Husband was away, I would always look forward to the end of the night for our nightly phone call to go over each others day and catch up. This helped me emotionally. A single parent has to just go through it all alone with no spouse or partner. I really have a new found respect and understanding of what they are going through. Mom’s and Dad’s who have to single parent are not able to bounce around ideas or have any help making decisions. They are the sole providers – they mostly don’t have the “option” to stay at home – but have a job plus have to deal with home and kids.

Being a parent brings much joy, but also it is the toughest thing I have ever done. I am so happy to have somebody I can share the job with – and for a single parent to have to do it all on their own! I respect you and admire you for being able to keep it together!