1. What exactly do you do all day? I guess that's a fair question to ask if you don't stay at home with your kids or don't have kids at all. But why not say, "Tell me about your day," rather than inferring that I don't do much at all. And to let you know the truth, I change dirty diapers all day long, cook, clean, drive to and from school, run errands, never get to eat a hot meal, and often don't even have a chance to shower because one kid is screaming and won't nap, and the other insists on not being more than six inches away from me. That is what I do all day.
2. You must have the most relaxing and laid-back day. You are so right. Waking up at 5 a.m. to the sound of a crying, teething baby is the epitome of relaxation. My day is so laid-back that I can't even get out of my pajamas because there is at least one child that needs to be fed, changed, cuddled, wiped, read a story, or helped with homework. I could keep going.
3. It's like having a vacation all year long! Oh, that's funny. Does a vacation include never having time for yourself or having to eat cold meals because you don't get to sit down to eat until everyone else has? How about 1 a.m. wakeup calls because someone had a bad dream or needs a glass of water?
4. Oh, so you don't have a job. Well, technically I don't make money for staying at home with my kids, but unlike your "real" job, I don't get time off or sick days. My job is a 365-days-a-year, 24-hours-long job. It's the kind of job that doesn't tell you what's next and there's no manual for doing it. But my "job" does come with the best form of payment possible — hugs and kisses.
5. What do you mean you didn't get the laundry done, dinner ready, and the house cleaned? Yes, because staying at home all day means I have an unlimited amount of time to get anything and everything done. Have you tried cooking dinner with a baby attached to your hip? How about doing laundry with a toddler running around? You might as well put "throw the clothes around the room" on your to-do list and just check that off it, because that will be the end result anyway.
6. I'd get so bored if I stayed at home all day. My life as a stay-at-home-mom is anything but boring. In fact, it's probably one of the most exciting things I've ever done. Every day is a new day and you never know what life (or your kids) will throw at you. Some days, I'll play nurse when my kids are sick, other times I am rolling around on the floor with kids while they use me as a jungle gym — no matter what, I'm busy all day. Believe me, my life is anything but boring.
7. You must feel so well-rested. Yes, waking up at 12 a.m., 3 a.m., and 5 a.m. makes me the most well-rested mom ever.
8. Don't you want to do something with your life? Other than take care of life's most precious creations that I can help shape, comfort, and love? How is what I'm doing with my life any more or less valuable than what you're choosing to do with yours?
9. You must have so much free time. Ask me the last time I actually did something for myself, let alone anything where at least one kid wasn't present. My grocery store trips involve taking the children; my showers usually involve a kid standing there watching me. And I don't even remember the last time I went to the bathroom without an audience.
10. You have the perfect life. No one's life is perfect. Despite what you might see in Instagram photos or your Facebook newsfeed, my life is not all unicorns and rainbows. I do feel pretty lucky, but I definitely have those days when my kids won't listen, are screaming or crying all day long, and refuse to go to sleep at night, and those kind of days can make you go crazy.
11. What are you going to do when all your kids are in school? Just because my kids are at school all day won't mean that I'll be at the spa getting pampered all day long. Who knows? Maybe I'll go back to work, maybe I'll pilot a rocket to the moon. My opportunities are endless, but you don't see me asking you what your 5-year plan is for your life, and this is just as rude as asking someone why they haven't had kids yet.
12. I would love to not have to work; you are so lucky. While I did choose to quit my "real job" and stay at home with my kids, some moms don't have a choice. In fact, I do work as a blogger and freelance writer, but I have a job that allows me to work from home. I do consider myself lucky, but that doesn't mean that I don't do any work at home. There are pros and cons to staying at home with your kids, and working away from the home, but don't think just because I stay at home with my children that I have it easy.
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