My son asked me, "Mom, when are you going to get a job?" It took me by surprise, but many people thought it and now I had actually been asked.

When I heard it, it made me laugh.

My son asked me, “Mom, when are you going to get a job?”

I figured one day I would have to have this conversation with my children. I had been thinking about what my answer would be when they asked me why I “don’t work”.

The prospect of being asked this question never scared me, in fact, I looked forward to sharing my answer. I just didn’t think one would ask at such a young age.

My son’s question was sparked from his experiences in the first couple days of Kindergarten.

When I dropped him off on his first day my daughter started crying about wanting to go to her own class. I told her we would have her school at our house. I would be her teacher. My son said, “You’re not a teacher.”

I replied, “I am a teacher to you and your sister, and I was a teacher like your teacher before you were born.”

The conversation went deeper.

My son’s school has an after school care program. He views it as longer playtime with his schoolmates that he is missing. He asked me, “When will I get to go to the after school care?”

I told him, “I don’t know if you will have to. I am home and able to pick you up after school.
The moms of the kids who go to the program work and are not able to pick them up to take them home until later.”

The conversation stopped here until another evening after dinner.

(Strange how kids have amazing memories at times, but then other times you have to constantly remind them…)

We were relaxing after dinner together as a family. On a television show my son saw women working in a paid job. He turned to me and asked, “Momma, when are you going to get a job?”

I replied, “My work right now is here in our house taking care of cleaning and cooking and
washing clothes, and caring for you and your sister, and Daddy, and paying bills and making sure we don’t spend too much money.”

You’ll love his response. 

He said, “Oh, that is a lot!”

I am sure that will not end any future questions about my choice of work, but it was an honest answer. And, of course, his response is very true! It is a lot.

For this season of my life, it is enough…and, it is WORK.

Find resources for implementing routines and schedules in your home. Printables and suggested schedules make it so easy!

We moms have a lot of options when it comes to our choices of work. Staying at home, working outside the home and working at home building a home based business are all options. I chose strictly to focus on staying at home and a home based business fell into my lap later on.

Building a home based business is great when you want to stay-at-home with the kids as long as possible.

Have your children asked you about your “choice of work”? What was or will be your response?

My son asked me, "Mom, when are you going to get a job?" It took me by surprise, but many people thought it and now I had actually been asked.

This post is featured in A Complete Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms: When You Need Encouragement

For More Mom Motivation:
Why is the Grass Greener?
Motherhood is Self-Fulfillment and a Calling
Building A Family Is Work

Intentional mom tips, tools and encouragement for stay-at-home moms.