So today I took my children to our town pool and while I was in the water with my three children I began to look around at all the other different type of mothers. I got thinking.
I watched the first season of Real Housewives of Orange County in 2006. I had a one year old and was a stay at home mom and couldn’t believe there was a show that was going to show what life was like. WOW WAS I WRONG!!!!!
You see when you think of a traditional housewife I am guessing you think; a married woman who stays at home, does the cleaning, cooking, etc., and does not have another job outside the home. That is the actual definition from the Webster dictionary. Well I grew up watching my mother do just that. She managed to do it all and raise 6 kids. She volunteered when able and that eventually led her to a full-time job when her children were a little older. She had worked before she had children but put her career as a paid nurse on hold for a time while she took care of us.
I knew at a young age that I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. Well I grew up, got married and was lucky enough to do that. I also got a college degree and worked full-time until my fist son was about to be born (just like her).
So, you can imagine how excited I was to watch this new show that was coming out. However, it was nothing like the definition and has seemed to get worse through the years. The show was made up of beautiful women, with almost perfect bodies, who worked and if they weren’t working they had full-time help raising the kids, some didn’t even have kids.
Now, I know that many families need both parents to work to make ends meet and I applaud them for that, but what about the rest?? Someone said you need both parents working in order to live in NJ and that is the farthest thing from the truth. My husband works and I am the caretaker of the family and home. I cook, clean, raise the kids, teach them religion and everything else that comes with it. When people ask if I am going to return to work when the kids are all in school I say no. My husband and I agree that I still need to continue the roll I have. Maybe while they are at school I will finally have the chance to get back to the gym to get my pre-kids body back.
It is possible to stay home. I don’t need my hair or nails done all the time. We don’t need a fancy car we can’t afford. I don’t buy my kids overly expensive gifts they don’t need and I sure as heck don’t throw outrageous parties for them either. It’s back to basics here. My kids know they are loved by their parents and that love and quality time are more important than materialistic things. I teach them that if they have things they don’t love they should pass it on to someone else so they can love it.
When you see me on the street you may look down on me for the clothes I wear or how I can’t get my baby weight off even though my daughter is turning 5 in Oct. I am also more often than not down on myself for those things. Yet, I have a happy, love filled family and I am the one that is getting to enjoy watching my children grow up and to know what truly is important in life. So, I will continue to try and not be self conscious of my figure from having children or the clothes I am wearing and be proud of the family that I am raising and all that I do get done for them!!!
copyright 2014 Sheila M Scarpulla . All rights reserved. No reproduction without written consent
