Myths vs. Reality

MYTH:
If you are a stay at home mom, you do nothing all day but watch soaps and game shows and eat bonbons.

REALITY:
I did not know that our T.V. played anything other than Dora and Spongebob during the day!

MYTH:
If the previous MYTH is false, then you must bake cookies, do craft projects, have a spotless house and basically live the Martha Stewart life.

REALITY:
Does opening a tub of cookie dough count as baking? Oh, and I did put up another well done coloring page up on the fridge. Is that a craft project? And as far as the spotless house... ha! I did NOT find a banana in the couch...today.

MYTH:
If you stay at home, it must be because your husband makes a TON of money.

REALITY:
Although the life of a SAHM has it's own rewards, part of the truth is, there's no way we could put our kids in daycare. IF we even found a reliable, trustworthy daycare. My husband would have to make about $50 an hour to pay for daycare plus support all of us. Truth is, people have NO idea the sacrifices we make in order for me to stay at home. My kids wear hand me downs, we shop at discount food stores where you have to (gasp) bag your own groceries. We don't go on trips. We don't go out. We drive used cars/trucks. Our house is in constant need of repairs. Need I go on? We are one paycheck away from losing it all.

MYTH:
Being a SAHM is not fulfilling.

REALITY:
OK, maybe this one, for some people is true. If I'm honest, there are times where I feel like I've lost a little of my identity in the day to day process of diapers, noses, dishes and floors. BUT. OH. MY. GOD. The day to day process of hugs, kisses, giggles, silly jokes, first steps, first words, never ending energy (theirs, not mine), cuddles and the list goes on and on and on....