My Position on Staying at Home

My post,"SAHM Movement Rocks Feminism" seemed to get some interesting feedback so I thought I'd take a moment to clarify some things. I'm not, by any means, affiliated with any movement that looks down on people who choose not to stay at home. In fact, it appears that the more I have defended the position of choosing home as a necessary place of employment, the more there seems to be a rebellion against it.

I find it pretty sad that where it was once considered a normal thing for a woman to be employed by her home, to begin her day with an early rise with a mind to keep to her household schedule, to tend her little ones during the day and prepare her home for her husband's arrival is now considered stone aged and unrealistic. My position is by no means puffed up with pride. However, I come from a place where I've experienced the verbal sarcasms and even the downplay of the position that I've chosen at home, and I find it to be degrading. Therefore, although you may sense the strong feeling on the subject, my posts reflect my position of defense for those of us who do chose home as a place of employment.

I speak of my job as a homemaker very highly because I believe that it's God's calling and I embrace the high calling of God to be a keeper of my home. With that, I eagerly welcome and encourage others to experience the joy that comes with being employed at home rather than choosing to bash those of us who choose to by deeming us unintelligent and worthless. I think that anyone who loves their job tends to speak about it with passion but I would never tell someone that they're sinning if they're not a stay at home mom. I just understand that we live in a society where things that God looks highly upon are minimized  and those things that are abominable to Him are glorified by people, and this is my opportunity, a place to speak on my beliefs about that.

I'm not standing in judgment of anyone here but I do have strong opinions on feminism. So in my posts, I may mention some of the things that we as Christian women have allowed into our hearts as a compromise between godliness and feminism but it is solely one's own convictions that will determine what they do with that. The one thing I will definitely state is that any woman who has questions about what God wants for her that she should, indeed, seek the word of God and allow Him to reveal His individual plan for her.

SAHM Movement Rocks Feminism

The feminist movement resulted in a high demand for childcare (amongst other things). In order for women to leave their homes and make, what they viewed as, a more significant mark on the world, they began to seek care for their children. Makes sense. Mom gets a job. Mom needs a fill in to do all the things she would be doing with her children while she's working. That may work for a lot of women. But here's the thing. A little while ago I saw this video from a news report on a daycare provider who looked out the window as a nine year old boy punched and kicked BABIES in the daycare. If you choose to watch the video, it's terribly disturbing but it's the very reason there needs to be a reality check in this country. There's a need for children to have mothers who will rock the feminist boat and come back home to care for them.

I've heard moms say that they couldn't stay home because their children would drive them crazy. I've heard moms say they couldn't be home with their children because they couldn't afford to.  I'd like to ask the moms who have either mindset to watch the video and ask themselves which is more important, the children or the career? If the answer is that the career takes care of the children, then I'd like to ask what material things does their career or job provide their child(ren) that is worth their replacement at home? In other words, which would the child rather have, the things or the mom.

Sometimes we get to a place where we feel that we were someone before we were moms. Sometimes we get wrapped into a selfish pity party where we trick ourselves into believing that we can have greater impact someplace else. Maybe it's that the job of motherhood is not filled with outward gratification that the workplace may provide. However, children are a heritage of the Lord, and if they are a reward, as the Lord says, we should feel gratification for being chosen by Him to mother His little ones. Besides, it's the little ones who are sacrificed when moms think in such a selfish way.

Feminists worked hard to give women choices but the choice should always be the home first, our husbands and our children. If a woman cannot stay home because she's a single parent, or she has to work because her husband can't, we should support that woman because she doesn't have the choice. However, it's time to bring more moms home to be moms, and many times it really is a choice.

Here are two of nine reasons I've made my choice. I will continue to pray for support of those who don't have the choice as well as those who choose to walk away for what they feel is a better "lifestyle." That video is one that impresses more upon my heart to do whatever (or without whatever) I need to in effort to be with my babies.