stay at home mom | living peacefully with children

I am a stay at home mom. For many people, that simple statement conjures up their own vision of who I am and what I do. Generally speaking, the idea of a 1950’s housewife pops into their head. I know this based on comments made by some of my husband’s coworkers and relatives over the years. It’s true that my husband goes off to work and that I stay at home….or not, depending on where our unschooling journeys take us. However, that is where any similarity ends.

: Photo by fishermansdaughter (Flickr)

I don’t stay home because it is expected of me. That would be a joke in this day and age where most families are dual income. Neither do I stay home because I lack education or knowledge. I am an intelligent woman and happen to possess multiple degrees. It is my choice to stay home with my children.

Before my husband and I were married, we discussed how we would raise our future, and hopeful, children. It was important to both of us to have a parent stay home with the kids. While we didn’t know how it would look at the time, we also knew we wanted to homeschool.

I stay at home with my children, but I am not the stereotypical little woman supporting her husband as he goes off to work in the world. That isn’t to say that I am unsupportive of him, but the focus in that scenario is all wrong for our family. Our focus is on raising our children the way we believe is best for our family. In that endeavor, my husband plays the supporting role by working outside the home, enabling us to have a parent at home with the kids and making our unschooling lifestyle easier.

When all is said and done, my husband and I remain partners, working toward our collective goal of raising our children and enjoying life together.

At various points in my life, I attempted to use a daily planner and failed. I would write in it for a day or two. At the most I only lasted a week. That changed in grad. school. Finally I used a daily planner and came to rely on it quite a bit. I always had my planner with me. My keys went in one pocket. My wallet went in my back pocket. My planner, with special pen clipped on, was carried in hand.

Gallery Leather 2010 Large Planner coach-Tan Leather

When I became pregnant with our first child and quit working, someone remarked that I would no longer need my trusty planner. Apparently, the person thought that as a stay-at-home-mom, I would have no need for such organization. However, I’ve found my planner to be even more of a necessity now that I’m a mother.

While, it is my planner, everything for our family goes in it. I keep track of all of our appointments, coop classes, playdates, errands, and to-do lists. I don’t go anywhere without it. When I designed the perfect diaper bag for our family, I made certain there was a pocket for my planner. My husband often calls me and asks me to write something in it. Friends know that unless I write a get together in my planner, it doesn’t exist.

Ask me how I keep our family organized, and I’ll tell you that my planner is center stage in my efforts