by Gina Rogers

Created on: May 02, 2007   Last Updated: May 03, 2007

Do stay at home moms get the recognition they deserve? This usually depends on who you ask. Other stay at home moms generally recognize the efforts they themselves and other moms make on a virtually 24/7 basis. Men and women alike from older generations also tend to give stay at home moms the recognition they deserve; probably due to their own more traditional values.

However, on the flip side there are many individuals who fail to recognize the efforts, devotion, and reasoning of stay at home mothers. For some it is due to an inability to understand why mothers choose to stay home. Others fail to give deserving recognition because they have been mislead by previous experiences, or stereotyping of stay at home moms; believing they have it easy, are lazy, do not want to work, and basically do nothing. That's easy to assume for those who have never attempted to stay home with their children and actually lived through the daily chaos, turmoil, demands, love, laughter, or joy. And still some others have a difficult time understanding how it is even financially possible.

I was a stay at home mother for eleven years. In that time I crossed paths with those who were more than willing to applaud my efforts, and those who looked at me with disdain when I explained I did not work outside of the home but I sure worked hard at home. When someone suggested to me that what I did was wonderful, I beamed. When someone suggested I would be happier working out side of the home, I flinched. I have recently returned to the world of working outside of the home because all of my children are now in school full time. It was difficult to find an employer that was willing to look past the fact that I had been unemployed for so long. Do they think we become unable and stupid in the years we spend at home with our children? On the contrary... It has taught me more than my college education, or any career could have. In the past three months or so I have been content with our life change; however, I will never regret the time I spent watching, teaching, or loving my children. And I certainly will never apologize for it either!

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