Q: I admit, sometimes I feel very underapreciated and like I'm worthless. I do a ton of house work, make sure everyone has what they need and do all of the cooking, maintainance and everything imaginable. My husband's mom is a single mother. For a few years she claimed unemployment because she didn't feel like working. She was sued and had to repay it, because her doctor said she could return to work, but lied to the unemployment office and still collected. She now went from being a personal care type nurse to a receptionist at a dr's office. I don't consider that being ultra successful, but she makes $12 an hour, a pretty high wage for someone who didn't attend college. My husband made her new job out to be a RN job paying $60,000 a year, turns out she's only a receptionist making $25,000 a year. She said it would be smart to go back to school and she wishes she could- hinting that I should. My husband keeps saying I should get a job, even though we have one car, he has his own business, I have a 9 month old baby, and daycare and a second car are finacially out of reach. He says he was just joking around. I feel like I"m less of a wonderful person because I stay at home. I realize that my mother in law made sacrifices like leaving her children home alone and hiring babysitters on occassion and didn't really have a chance at spending time with her kids due to being a single parent. Did they purposely try to make me feel like less of a person for staying at home with my baby? I feel like since I don't earn any money, like I'm not good enough for the people who work. What do you think?
A: HONESTLY I think a lot of mothers feel this way... I wish I would have known in college that I wanted to be a mom so that I could have a career that I could do from home. I do plan on going back to school for that before we have anymore children... I wish this is something that could be taught to high school girls before they decide to have children, get married or go to college. just remember you are very important, just as important as people who work. It would be nice if there was a job for every stay at home mom that could contribute to the household income but what is most important is being with your children, teaching them and meeting there needs. If absolutely feel like you need to make money to be important you can try some of these things... get a job that you can do from home (very difficult) make stuff and sell them on ebay sell stuff from your home (Avon, Spa products etc.) babysit geriatric sitting shopping Handy cap people or senior citizens dog walking cleaning go back to school for something you can do at home. transcriptions etc.