Stay-At-Home Moms You Are Not Overlooked 

There is only one job where you are on the clock 24 hours a day, 7 days a week receive no paycheck and go to bed thinking you have the greatest job in the world.

Being a stay-at-home mom (SAHM) is what most little girls dream of as they push their dolls in their miniature strollers and beg their brothers to be the daddy. 

The reality of that childhood dream has many more sleepless nights, spilled lunches, and tantrums than you thought with no one to sympathize with your struggles- or at least that’s what you thought. 

Staying home with your children is a privilege not everyone gets to enjoy. 

Watching our little ones grow, and being able to be there for all their important moments- like their first step, first word, or the first time they dress themselves- is a priceless opportunity.

But all those happy memories are not without the daily trials of motherhood. 

Sometimes it takes two hours to get your baby to take a 30-minute nap. Some days you can’t seem to convince your toddler that wearing clothes isn’t optional, or your son that homework is not a punishment. 

These days can be tough, and leave you feeling like no one appreciates all the hard work you put into giving your kids a good childhood. 

Stephanie Hanrahan, writing for Scary Mommy, is a SAHM and knows the unseen effort moms give. 

We tote toddlers on our hips, intervene during tantrums, cook meals that no one eats. There were days I took my children to museums or taught them their letter sounds, but no one was around to witness it. I was with another human all day but felt horribly unseen.”

It’s not that we need a ribbon or constant affirmation for doing what God had intended us to do, but feeling appreciated helps us to push through the harder days a little easier. 

Sorry to say, but you are just not going to get the verbal appreciation you want as a SAHM from your kids. 

They love you, they can give you an ample amount of snuggles and kisses, but they are at a point where they are entirely consumed with their needs- just as they should be!

Hanrahan has a heartfelt message for all you moms who feel overlooked:

So fellow stay-at-home moms, I want you to know this:

I see you. I see the work you’re doing in raising these children and it is the most difficult, most undervalued kind of work.

I want you to know that no one else was considered for this job. It was always you. You never even needed to apply because you were always qualified for this child. You are a team. And although at times it may feel like you’re not a top earner, that you’re failing—that you’ve given them too much screen time or fed too many fast food meals to count—know that you are doing the work of the mighty. Know that these children see your efforts, and they may not be able to say it now, so I will.

You are a good mom.

You are a sacrificial and serving mom.

You are a woman who is giving up a few years of her life to guarantee another human has the best years of theirs.

You are creating memories, even on the mundane days.

You are providing the consistency that all children deserve.

You are teaching them that it’s great to have the best day ever, but it’s more realistic to not. So even in your flops and failures they are learning the invaluable lesson of resilience.

You are a chef, chauffeur, social event coordinator, speech and language developer, housekeeper, counselor, child development specialist, toy fixer/finder, nurse, librarian, physical education teacher, leader, mother, and friend.

You are employed by the greatest company: Your child.

You won’t enjoy every minute and that’s okay, no job is without its setbacks, but one day you’ll look up and you’ll have a bit more of your life back. Your meals will be warm, your clothes unstained. You’ll remember that the years you spent pouring into another person never went unnoticed.

Stay-at-home mom, I see your hard work.

Watch your child smile and remember that it’s paying off tenfold.”

These precious moments with our little ones go faster than we want, and we will miss all the diaper changes, bath times, and fights to comb hair. 

You are doing amazing mom. Take care of yourself, and remember we see you.

Please let us know in the comments section if you have had a challenging day lately where you needed to hear this.