The thought of being a "stay-at-home" mom never crossed my mind, ever. The thought of not having a career and utilizing my degree was unimaginable. After all, my parents sacrificed so much to provide me with an expensive college education without worrying about having to repay any loans. I was raised by parents who both worked full-time. When we were younger, my mom juggled a full-time career and still managed to be actively involved in all of our school and extracurricular activities. She was always present. I thought that was how it was going to be for me when I started having children. Well, it's true what they say. You don't really know how you're going to feel until you start having kids of your own.

Like so many others out there, I never really gave the stay-at-home mom full credit. I really didn't appreciate what the "job" entailed until I was in the role. Boy was I oblivious to how demanding it is. Admittedly, I didn't choose to stay home full-time to raise the kids. The opportunity, or should I say situation, existed when we sold our business and found out we were having our first child. Fate?!?

What an eye-opener it has been to be raising my two sons full-time. First of all, the term "stay-at-home" is such the oxymoron. I'm constantly on the go with them, taking them to classes and dragging them around town to take care of all the household errands that inevitably become your sole responsibility for the most part. You're not only Mommy, but you're also the nanny, the psychologist, the nurse, the cook, and in my case, the housekeeper, the bookkeeper and the household financial planner. The list of duties can be endless, and it's exhausting physically, mentally, and emotionally. If you think you're going to have "time" on your hands, think again. You have to pencil yourself in to the never-ending "work" schedule. After all, raising kids full-time is not an 8-5, Monday-Friday job. When I was "working", I was able to go out to lunch with my co-workers and actually eat, enjoy the meal, and have a conversation. No longer. When I was "working", I was able to take care of personal business or run errands during my lunch break, not having to worry about sleep schedules or meltdowns. No longer. When I was "working", I didn't have to worry about the background noise provided by whining or crying kids demanding your attention every time I was on the phone. No longer.

You get the idea. I've always respected moms who have full-time careers. Now, I have a new-found respect and the utmost admiration for moms who choose to raise their kids full-time, and who accept the hugs and kisses as a paycheck. The contribution to the family and household is immeasurable and self-less. Just because you're not earning a paycheck, it doesn't mean you're not "working". After all, don't jobs exist for nannies, psychologists, nurses, cooks, housekeepers, bookkeepers, financial planners, etc.??