Michelle Fisher At Los Angeles Family Examiner:
I have been working out of my home since shortly after the birth of my daughter in September 2000. I should say that I have taken on outside employment while also fulfilling the duties of a stay-at-home mother. In short, I have one full-time job (mom) and one part-time job (writer and editor).
After 18 years of being an editor, I still can’t pare down that job description. Why? Because when you tell people that you “work at home,” you receive one of two responses: (1) From fellow mothers, you get a “Don’t I know it!” smirk meaning they understand that every mom works at home, doing hundreds of small tasks that nurture our families; and (2) from everyone else, you get remarks like, “You’re so lucky!” and “Wow, you get to be your own boss!” What they are really thinking is that you stay in your pajamas all day and do whatever you want.
It is important for work-at-home moms to write down everything that they do, not just job tasks but all tasks. It promotes a sense of accomplishment when you see, in black and white, each completed task; it gives you a sense of control in the whirlwind of family life and helps you to prioritize; and it can restore your confidence and motivation when you procrastinate, worry, mope and/or beat yourself up for not being smart, successful or rich enough. So the next time that someone asks what it is that “you do,” hold your head high and declare, “I’m a full-time mother and a part-time bookkeeper…” or caterer or cellist or community activist.
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Photo by Micah68.