How often do you get asked what you do for a living? It’s a common conversation starter, and since deciding to leave my career to stay home with my twins, it’s something I’ve felt insecure about answering. But not anymore, and you shouldn’t either! Society has a funny way of making us stay-at-home moms feel like we don’t have “real” jobs. But our jobs go beyond the average 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m work day.

Just last week, I was at a new doctor to have a little cyst on arm removed. They have to ask about employment on the patient form to get a full understanding of your limits, etc. for whatever procedure you’re having. I just wrote N/A. I guess that I should have written SAHM because when I saw the doctor, he asked me, “So, what do you do in real life?” I found myself defending my choice to stay at home by saying, “I stay home with my twins. That’s a job!” Why didn’t I just proudly say that I am busy raising twins? Who cares if he thinks that staying home with babies doesn’t count as a real job (and he probably doesn’t think that, but many people do.) It counts for my family, and I am lucky enough to have the choice to do so. I know many moms who would love to be in this position. And we shouldn’t have to constantly feel the need to defend it. Like it makes us less of a person to not “work”… I work plenty.

In fact, in the future I think that I will list the following jobs on the form under employment:

1. Caregiver
2. Nurse
3. Financial Planner
4. Nutritionist/Chef
5. Teacher
6. Artist
7. Singer
8. Housekeeper
9. Chauffeur
10. MOMMY

I am sure there are many more jobs that we moms actually do, and that list of jobs will certainly grow as my kids get older. But you get the idea. Moms work really hard not only to keep their children happy, but to keep a household running smoothly. Working moms just have one more hat to wear. This is something I have had to come to face during my first year at home with Corbin and Lynley. I always thought that I would continue working after becoming a parent, and I even went on a job interview recently. Fortunately, I wasn’t offered the position because it’s not something I think I am truly ready for.

I am learning to be ok with the fact that my peers will no longer see me as the writer, award-winning journalist or public relations professional that I once was. Those were prestigious jobs that I loved, but nothing can compare to the achievement or success I’ve gained being Corbin and Lynley’s mom. It reaches far beyond any dream that I could have ever imagined for myself.

I’m not shutting the door on working outside of our home in the future, but right now I think I have plenty of jobs, don’t you!?! If you liked this post, please share it.

And if you’re looking for more encouragement, please check out my most popular post of 2013- I’m Doing the Best that I Can.