by Virginia L. Allen

Created on: April 07, 2009

No longer considered a position worthy of honor; in a society geared to glorified paid work, the sacrifices stay-at-home mothers and fathers regularly make are all too often overlooked. With a long list of duties ranging from teacher, housekeeper, nurse, cook, day-care provider, accountant, teacher, and general maintenance worker, the sacrifices we willingly make are extraordinary.

* Isolation.

Any stay-at-home parent will agree that the degree of isolation from the outside world may be one of the hardest sacrifices to deal with. Absolutely everything is about your family; your children especially.

Your day is filled to the brim with activities geared toward children. You watch the programs they want to watch; you read the books they want to read; you play the games they want to play; you even go places that they want to go. As a direct result, it's rare that you enjoy adult contact of any kind.

* Income.

Unless you are fortunate enough to procure employment from home, making the decision to stay at home and survive off of one income is a huge sacrifice. Long gone are the days of going to the movies every weekend, going out to eat with friends or family on a regular basis, shopping sprees at the local mall, getting your hair and nails done every two weeks, and going on weekend road trips.

Your days are now filled with finding new and unique ways of making the little money you have stretch; hunting for the latest bargains; and clipping coupons.

* Priority.

Being a stay-at-home parent definitely changes your priorities. The world no longer revolves around you. Your children are now your top priority (this is a hard and fast rule rather one parent chooses to stay home or not). This effects every aspect of your life. Whether your shopping, eating or sleeping.

* Individuality.

Because your life is tied up in the workings of the family, stay-at-home parents tend to lose sense of their own individuality. No longer treated as an individual, you are now known as so and so's mom, or so and so's wife/husband.

* Time For Yourself.

The daily duties of a stay-at-home parent places much emphasizes on service to others. Therefore, time for oneself is regularly sacrificed on a daily basis. Literally, from sunrise to sunset, you are employed in a laundry list of duties that consume the majority of your time. There are very few breaks, and rarely are you rewarded with any needed 'down time'.

* Goals/Hobbies.

Since there is rarely any 'down time' to spare, hobbies you might have once enjoyed, and goals you were determined to reach, are often placed on the back burner. Previous goals and hobbies are replaced with the responsibility of helping each individual family member reach their own milestones.

Nevertheless, regardless of the sacrifices experienced by stay-at-home parents, the benefits of witnessing your children's major/minor milestones; spending more quality time with them; experiencing the world through their eyes; and providing a safe and stable environment; truly outweigh any sacrifices made.

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