Celebrating
My Child, Each and Every Day
by Penny Powell
In
her column, Momma’s Home, Penny Powell will
share her journey of being a stay-at-home mom
to 6-year-old, Caleb, son of her and her husband,
Collin. Momma's Home will take you inside the
home, mind, heart and soul of this stay-at-home
mother who believes that her opportunity to
be an at-home parent is one of her greatest
motherhood blessings. "It's an invaluable way
to celebrate my son's life -- every day," she
says. Penny invites you to write to her at Momtoaboy@aol.com.
During
a trip home to Bermuda this summer, I had a
conversation with a respected elder of the Island's
community, Mr. Norris Burgess, Sr., about what
I’ve been doing since relocating from Bermuda
to Virginia Beach about 9 years ago when my
husband’s Navy career lead us to the United
States. When I informed him that I have chosen
to be a freelance writer and stay-at-home mother
to my 6-year-old son, that sparked discussion
about how the value of stay-at-home parenting
seems to have gotten lost over the years. Mr.
Burgess recalled how his wife had been at home
as the primary caretaker for their 9 children,
so he could certainly relate to my path. It
was a pleasure to hear him support and praise
my decision since that’s not always the reaction
I get from folks when I tell them that I am
a stay-at-home mother -- by choice! In many
instances, I’m quickly asked, "And what else
are you doing?" in a tone that implies that
full-time child rearing isn’t enough to account
for one’s self worth. It is not until I mention
that I also write from home for the Internet
and other publications that I seem to get a
nod of approval that I’m working at my true
potential.
Some have said and asked, "You have a master’s
degree (in humanities with a focus in journalism),
why on earth would you want to stay at home?"
And, you know, sometimes I don’t even have an
answer that can fully describe the depth of
my passion and reason to be a stay-at-home mother.
It’s a deep heartfelt feeling, a maternal instinct,
an inner Godly voice that tells me that this
is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing --
to be a creative, hands-on mom who is willing
to make personal sacrifices in order to raise
this precious gift of mine, named Caleb, on
a full-time basis.
I’ve never wanted to send Caleb off for an 8-hour
day while I head in a different direction to
do another job. When I did try that route (with
a flexible work schedule), 8 months later I
reverted to my role as stay-at-home/work-from-home
mom after being plagued with working mom-guilt.
I had worked as a content producer for a parenting
channel at a top web site in the Virginia Beach
area, and it was my idea of a dream job as it
offered lots of creativity, writing and editing
on parenting topics -- yet, I could not shake
the feeling that I needed to be in the office
less and with my son more.
While I’m not at all critical of working mothers
(my mom worked when raising me), I just didn't
feel that this option was best for my heart
and my family. Fortunately, the overseas cost
of living compared to Bermuda makes it a lesser
challenge (yet still a challenge) for me to
follow this path I’ve undertaken. What also
helps is the moral support that is available
from community groups and individuals who truly
believe in the role and purpose of the at-home
parent. It is refreshing to network with folks
such as these who have traveled or are traveling
my road while learning about ways they altered
their lifestyles to prevent them from having
to spend chunks of time away from their children
on a daily basis.
.
