Time_on_Our_Hands

Time on Our Hands Time on Our Hands: Stay at Home Moms Victoria Michelle Bean Letourneau University Written Communications II Engl 2173 Alison Middleton September 24, 2010 Abstract Stay at home moms are often accused of having all the time in the world, this is not the case. You will see just how little time a stay at home mom has by the end of this paper. Time on Our Hands: Stay at Home Moms I once heard some one say the stay at home moms have on average 30 hours a week of leisure time. I don’t know who said it but they are obviously not a mom, much less a stay at home mom. It is ridiculous to think that stay at home moms have all this excess of leisure time on their hands just because they do not have a 9 to 5 job. I understand that some mothers are required to work outside the home to help support their families, but stay at home moms work from inside the home to support their families as well. To say that a stay at home mom has “time on her hands” is a gross misrepresentation of what a stay at home mom does each day. Her first job title is “household maintenance,” she is in charge of all household duties, cleaning all rooms and floors, washing, drying, and putting away of all clothing, preparing all clothing for the next days activities, preparing all meals, and sanitizing all washrooms. Second she is “front desk manager”, she makes sure all “wake-up calls” are ready and go off on time. She continues to urge everyone to get up, get dressed and brush ones teeth so that they are not late to any and all appointments. Third she is chauffer, she will transport all unable to drive ones self to all and any activities and appointments making sure they are their on time and with all required equipment, making rapid returns to the residence in the event something is left behind. Next she is the nurse on call at all hours when anyone is feeling under the weather, administering medication, band aids and TLC when ever needed. She makes all calls to the doctor and rushes any and all patients to the emergency room when necessary. She makes all phone calls to all other family members keeping them informed on all medical updates. She is also a “first responder,” on call for any emergency. Dropping everything to rush to the school when called, whether it be for a sick child, a child in trouble or they forgot their lunch money. She is also the “account manager” for the funds doing her dead level best to make sure everything is paid, and everyone gets what they need for all extra circular activities. She takes full responsibility when there is a shortage of funds, doing with out if necessary so that all others in the family do not have to. Last, and most important she is the family cheerleader, appearing at all events, cheering on all family members. Providing support, a smile, a “good job or well done”, a “you did your best”, keep your head up, and the most powerful words she yields in her arsenal, I love you and I am PROUD of you, when ever they are needed. These are just a few of the “job title” a stay at home mom carries. So for some man to say that a stay at home mom has an extra 30 plus hours a week is disrespectful to the stay at home moms. We may not have a job that we have to “punch a clock” for, but we have a job. It is a job that is 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, one for which we do not draw a paycheck for, receive promotions, vacation days, sick days or even a pat on the back for, but it requires all of our time and energy. It is a job that all mothers wish they could have for what we do not receive in monetary payments we receive in the knowledge that we make our family a success each day, and on that occasions our child looks up at us and says, “I love you mommy, thank you for bringing my ……….,” we have been paid a bigger salary than Donald Trump. For anyone to say that a stay at home mom as in excess of 30 hours of week of leisure time have never been a stay at home mom. A stay at home moms so called 30 hours of leisure time, is spent not at her leisure, but meeting the needs of her family and anyone who has ever ventured to be a stay at home mom or parent would know that your time is never your own it is your families and it is spent tending to their needs. Bean Essay Assignment Week 4 Time on Our Hands