The Benefits of Having a Stay-at-Home Mom

The number of stay-at-home moms in the twenty-first century seem to be decreasing every day. There are many reasons for this decline, such as increasing career opportunities that are now available for women, the cost of living, and of course, the fact that it is frowned upon by so many (both men and women) in our society today. My mom, however, made the decision to stay at home with me, and later my brother as well, despite all of that. Sure, she had to deal with snide remarks from critics from time to time. And I'm sure there were more than a few times she and my dad had to go without something that they wanted, so they could afford to provide this kind of lifestyle for us. Undoubtedly, there were sacrifices made. I only realize this now, as an adult. Sadly, I took it for granted when I was a child.

In my early childhood, my mom was able to use our time together to teach me lots of things. She likes to tell the story of the morning that, as she rounded the corner into our living room, she overheard me singing the "ABC's" to myself. Another thing I've heard her brag about is the day that my pre-school teacher told her, "Ashley has a very strong sense of right and wrong." Of course, she has her funny stories to tell as well...the day I called her by her first name, the audition for a church play that didn't go so well, and even the time my friend and I played a trick on both her and our Kindergarten teacher!