I'm Just a Mother?
A few months ago, when I was picking up the children at school, another mother I knew well rushed up to me. Emily was fuming with indignation. "Do you know what you and I are?" she demanded. Before I could answer - and I didn't really have one handy - she blurted out the reason for her question.
It seemed she had just returned from renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office. Asked by the woman recorder to state her "occupation," Emily had hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is," explained the recorder, "Do you have a job, or are you just a ......?"
"Of course I have a job," snapped Emily. "I'm a mother."
"We don't list 'mother' as an occupation...'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.
I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high-sounding title, like "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar"
"And what is your occupation?" she probed.
What made me say it, I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm....a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."
The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in mid-air, and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pompous pronouncement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?"
Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out).
I'm working for my Masters (the whole darned family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are in satisfaction rather than just money."
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.
As I drove into our driveway buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants---age 13, 7, and 3. And upstairs, I could hear our new experimental model (six months) in the child-development
program, testing out a new vocal pattern.
I felt triumphant. I had scored a beat on bureaucracy. And I had gone down on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another......"
Home...what a glorious career. Especially when there's a title on the door.
Author unknown
But it works for our family & most specifically for our son 
You know what though, it is their decision. I will tell you this, everyone of them knows that a SAHM's job is the hardest job of them all, even if they don't admit it.
. Sure I have more time on my hands and frankly I think its great BUT...my oldest is about to start "the big school"-Kindergarten and in a year we'll send my youngest to preschool, this year we will be doing soccer for the oldest and dance for both. In between activities, I have to grocery shop, prepare meals, clean laundry, pay the bills, and at least keep the house resonably picked up. I tell you what though this beats my hour (one way) commute each day and paying all but $50 or so of my paycheck to the daycare and dealing with my witchy boss everyday (she was one of "those" PhDs). FWIW I had been in my position 10 years and made a pretty darned good salary, but that's how expensive daycare is up here in MA. It makes DH's life easier too, sure I expect him to help out some (he is a member of the family too) but not as much as if I were working as well. I think people do get jealous, but I also remember how big of a leap it was for us to actually Realize that we could afford it if I stayed home. It was the best decision we have ever made together and we are so much better off for it-both financially (yeah, financially, I think Uncle Sam wants Moms to stay home-ie; we dropped a tax bracket 
) and emotionally. Sure sometimes I get bored outta my gourd, (we live in the boonies) and sometimes its like I'm the energizer bunny, but it was like that at work sometimes too. This comming October will be my 2 year SAHM-aversary and I still don't know what I'm 'gonna do'. Sometimes I worry about how as time goes on I loose my lab skills but most of the time I'm trying to scheme to be able to stay home longer. 
)
I totally understand that some moms might think that expensive house or new cars improve the quality of their family's overall lifestyle, but I still think my time is more valuable to my son than anything money could ever buy. JMO, though! 
