Being a stay-at-home mom is a hard job y’all, even when we’re not all stuck at home. Don’t get me wrong there’s no place I would rather be than at home with my boys, but it’s not a job for the faint of heart.
Suddenly you’re thrust into the position of a full-time caregiver, a teacher, a chauffeur, a chef, a nurse, a housekeeper, a playmate, and anything else that a day throws in your path. I quickly gave up the thought of being a Pinterest mom because let’s be honest, I don’t have a creative bone in my body.
The one thing that I can offer my boys is an unconditional love that only a mother can. I share experiences and learning opportunities. I get down in the dirt with them. I play cars, and roughhouse, and do all those things that boys like to do {I guess my tom girl past paid off!} And I occasionally hide in the pantry and devour a chocolate donut like I’m Yogi Bear afraid someone’s coming for my picnic basket. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention that going to the bathroom alone is suddenly and forever a thing of the past.
Our days are filled with running errands, breaking up fights, and keeping babies alive. Feeding our kids and keeping up with the housework seems like a never-ending job {I swear there are way more than five people in this house some days}. Some things may not get done as well as others but each of them gets done nonetheless.
Usually, we’re rather active as a party of three in our house during the day. We spend most of our days playing together outside, meeting up with friends to have playdates, walking with the local mom’s walking group, or getting together at the school for events and educational opportunities. My days start before 7:00 a.m. and most days don’t end until well after 11:00 p.m., but I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
Then COVID-19 happened. Suddenly everyone was plunged into a new normal. Working parents suddenly became stay-at-home parents or parents who were trying to juggle working from home with the responsibilities of being a parent. Stay-at-home moms found themselves with the additional responsibilities of caring for the entire family on a 24/7 basis with no breaks.
Being a stay-at-home mom is great when you’re able to get out of the house and do things with your kids. When you’re able to have playdates and conversation with other adults. Here is the caveat: being a stay-at-home mom who is stuck at home is a new and overwhelming way to live.
Suddenly our days became much longer than they ever had been before. Gone are the days of going to visit others just to get out of the house, and playing at the park to let off some steam. Being cooped up in the house has become the new normal {at least during this crazy Michigan spring}. My nights of going grocery shopping alone to get a little bit of quiet time suddenly vanished.
As someone who suffers from severe postpartum depression and anxiety the inability to get out of the house {with or without my kids} became an overwhelming burden for this stay-at-home mom to handle. Getting out of the house was my saving grace, my reality check with life. It was my little slice of normal in this great, big world.
While we’re all finding our new normal, it’s hard to imagine going back to the life that we once lived. Things are so different now. Am I ever going to leave the house and not worry that one of my kids or me is going to come in contact with something that I can’t even see? When will I next be able to leave the house alone to simply stop at Starbucks for a hot cup of coffee on my way to do my weekly grocery shopping?
When a stay-at-home mom is stuck at home the joy that once came with that choice can be lost and forgotten in all of the overwhelming responsibilities and loneliness. One can only hope that soon we will all find a new normal where we can continue to love the things that we once loved in a new and different way, while not feeling like we are stuck in doing so.
Are you a SAHM? How are you handling social distancing and isolation?
