The Ultimate Blog Party at 5 Minutes for Mom has kept me hopping through the momosphere this weekend! I’ve visited more blogs than I can count, and commented on a few dozen of them. I’m noticing, though, a common thread in the introductory posts that is, frankly, driving me nuts. So many of you moms–wonderful, strong, hard-working moms–seem to feel a need to explain why you’re not “working” at something important. (If you’re a WAHM or an outside-the-home worker, you’re dismissed. More power to ya. G’night.)
I’m not gonna point to any particular blogs, and no one has been really overtly touchy about it, but I get the feeling that many, if not most of us, feel like we have to explain why we’re not doing something more important than just raising our kids.
We make sure to tell our potential readers what we did back when we were “real” people; what makes us of value to the wider world; why we’re not as useless as we seem. We (OK, not me, just you guys) are knuckling under to the stereotype of the useless housewife. I’m not sure where we all got the idea that the only measure of a person’s value is how much money they earn, but can we please stop apologizing for providing less tangible, but a thousand times more lasting value for our families than a paycheck?
I don’t have any earth-shattering point to make here. I just want to let you guys know that you are of value, no matter how much money you are or are not making! Whether you’re like me, and actually pay to blog because you just need to write for some inexplicable reason, or you’re a mom who has worked hard enough and smart enough to make her blog pay, you don’t need to apologize for being “just” a mom.
See So What Do You Do All Day for my thoughts on the whole thing.
That is all. Love you, ladies. G’night.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m here for the party! And I make no apologies! I like this post, though. I think a lot of formerly working moms have a hard time fully coming to terms with being SAH. There’s a mental battle when you go from managing people to cleaning poop all day and hardly being acknowledged for it. It’s a hump you have to get over, but once a comfortable happy is found, be it working part time or being full time SAH, it’s great!
Happy partying!
Thanks for following me! I have to admit I don’t think I’ve been to your blog before, but I know and love your tweets!
I think we have some of the same political viewpoints
It is nice here! And I agree, why are people apologizing for doing what I view to be the honorable thing. (if you can afford it)
AMEN!
I think being a mother is the most important job in the world. You wont hear me explaining my choice to stay at home with the children to anyone! Great post!
Thank you for stopping by my blog!