When meeting new people, as I often do in our travels, I am asked “what do you do?”. For some people the stereotype of a being a stay at home mom, let alone a stay at home mom that homeschools, is not very glamour’s sounding. I often get the sympathetic look of shock from people from their initial reaction and I always respond with “It’s the best job, I never knew I always wanted” and it truly is. I am immensely proud of both job titles.
I started out perusing a dream to be a high school English teacher and I had ambitions of being the head of the theatrical department as well. I wanted to have children but did not know if that would ever be possible for me due to a few medical conditions. So, after college I moved to Wisconsin to be with my soon to be hubby and began applying to the local schools in the area I now called home. Nothing was open right away, so I began subbing and, in the meantime, found another full-time job to help make ends meet. I had several interviews over the next few years, but few positions were available in the districts I was looking in.
Fast forward three years and I was still subbing and working another full-time job. I had, had a few long-term sub positions (One in a local 4k program and three jobs in the local middle school and high school). I had just given birth to our first daughter and would have the next 6 weeks off from both jobs and therefore have no income coming in. My husband was working a semi-full-time job during the day, coaching football and wrestling during the school year and was just hired on with the local fire department as a paid volunteer. His jobs were not going to sustain us for the next six weeks until I was back to work, let alone allow us to afford any sort of day care once I did return. We had a unique challenge on our hands that’s for sure.
One fateful night my husband was offered a job that would eventually solve these problems for us. We would not be rich over night, but if we stuck with a plan we would get ourselves out of debt and live our lives. However, it meant he would be traveling full time for work. To us being together as a young family was very important. We saw this new opportunity as a sign that our daughter and I would travel with hubby and that I would homeschool so that we could be together as a family.
Seven years later I am loving every minute of my position as a stay at home momma and as a homeschooling teacher. I often get asked if I want to go back to teaching and if I miss it. To tell you the truth I don’t miss it at all. I don’t miss the bureaucracy and politics in a public school and the limitations it placed on me as a teacher. This is not to say that public schools are bad and that public-school teachers are horrible. Not what I’m saying at all. For me and my family this is where I am truly need and best of all it makes me truly happy.
I get to take everything I was passionate about as a teacher and use it every day at home. The bonus for me is that I have eager students, and a principal (hubby) that is my number one supporter. I get to change paths mid-year when something doesn’t work, or I get to close the books when we are having a bad day and cuddle with my students and watch a movie.
To the critics that just don’t get it, it’s hard to explain, it truly is. But I am never truly happy unless I’m loving on my family and getting to be Momma Bear is the icing on the cake in my life. For me I truly have the best job, that I never knew I always wanted.
Originally Published February 2018