In my current role as a stay at home mom, I need several supports.
Husband:
The most important support is that of my husband. He is supportive of my decision to stay home, provides the income that we need in order to survive, and provides emotional support when times get rough. He encourages me to take time to myself and be involved in activities outside of our home, so I get some reconnection time with myself. Without his support, I would not be able to function on a daily basis, emotionally, financially, or mentally.
Kids:
My kids provide me with the positive reinforcement that I need to accomplish my task as a stay at home mom. They love spending time at home, are grateful that I am there for them before and after school, and enjoy the activities that we do together. Without their love, hugs, kisses, and snuggles, I am not sure the reward for this particular choice would be as great!
Friends:
My friends provide emotional support and sanity in my world. Most of my close friends are also stay at home moms so we work out playdates together and spend time in each others homes. We talk about things that affect us, that we're struggling with, and share our successes together. Without their support, I would go crazy inside these four walls!
Activities/Groups:
I am involved in a MOPS group that meets every other Thursday for a couple hours. We focus on our jobs as mothers and the things that we struggle with. We drink coffee, eat, and laugh together and they provide care for our children so we get a little break! I also host a Bible Study for mom's every other week that does the same things as our MOPS group and does a short Bible Study together. Without the opportunity to network with these moms and the support that we provide each other, I would also go crazy!
Finances:
Our financial well-being is currently the sole responsibility of my husband. Without the money we have, we could not live comfortably. We do not have a lot extra as one income with a family of 5 does not go very far, but we have food, clothing, shelter, and a little extra for some fun stuff too.
*One challenge that I do not have now but have thought about quite a bit latley is having my teaching job on top of raising our children. How would my support system be different?
Husband:
I would need more of his help with daily routine activities such as housework, laundry, paying the bills, and getting the kids to and from daycare and school. Our evening schedule would be much more hectic and I would then need his help with preparing dinner. I would also be exhausted so I would need more emotional support from him in order to keep everything sane.
Kids:
My support from my kids would certainly change as I would no longer be in the role of their daily care provider. They would seek emotional, social, and love during the day from someone other than me. That would be emotionally draining on my own sense of being a mother, so I'm not sure how that would all work out.
Friends:
My friends would still be my friends, but my interactions with them would become very limited. Between working a full-time job and taking care of our children, I would not have much extra time for playdates and coffee. I would miss them all very much, creating an emotional void in the friendship department.
Activities/Groups:
I would no longer be part of these groups as the focus on stay at home moms. The time spent in these groups would be replaced with a job. This would mean I would lack the support from the ladies in these groups, again impacting my emotional well-being.
