The Toughest Job

I've been thinking about a shirt I saw that said, "Motherhood: The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love." I have to agree that being a stay at home mom is a great job, but it has to be the hardest job on earth! Here are some of my observations on why this is:

1. Moms are always on duty (or at least "on call"-- remember who gets up at night?). Moms don't get lunch breaks, bathroom breaks, or coffee breaks.
2. If your kids sleep 10 hours a night, that means you work 14 hour shifts! I don't know of too many other professions that keep such long hours.
3. Moms don't get vacation time. I think that going away is actually more work than staying home (packing, everyone is out of their routines, keeping everyone happy in the car, and then the aftermath when you return: think LAUNDRY). 
4. Moms don't get paid (not in money, anyway). It is nice to be there to see my kids learning and tackling new things, but sometimes I wish I made a financial contribution to our family (other than selling our used kids clothes). 
5. Moms get very little "me time," and it is hard to take that time for yourself without feeling a bit guilty. I often think, "I should be doing something productive or spending more time with Brett."

There is no doubt that being a mom is a tough job, but it's totally worth it!