It’s not an uncommon question for a stay-at-home mom to encounter. “What do you do all day?” I won’t lie, before I actually experienced stay-at-home mommyhood, I wondered the same thing.
Well prepare to be enlightened, my friends. I’m about to solve the mystery for you.
The answer at this stage in the game is: I keep the children alive.
Yep, I know you’re probably blown away by my ambition. Some days I am too.
The more detailed truth is: it depends.
If you had asked me last fall, I probably would have had a more well-rounded answer. I got the kids up and fed and dressed. Dropped the oldest at school. Took the baby for a walk. Played and read books. Nursed. Laid the baby down for a nap. Picked up the house or did dishes or laundry or read a book or wrote. Made lunch. Played with baby. Picked up the girl from school. You get the idea. I even had a day each week where I cleaned the house!
Now, in the dog days of summer, in the third trimester of my third pregnancy, things are a little different. If you want to know what I DO all day, my answer will revolve entirely around children. Make breakfast, change diapers, play games, read books, make lunch, take walks, pull the toddler off the furniture, scan for choking hazards, comfort the toddler who fell off the furniture, and so on.
If you want to know what I actually ACCOMPLISH each day? The answer is basically nothing. If there are dishes in the sink when my husband leaves for work in the morning, there is a 90% chance they will be there when he gets home, and then some. The same goes for laundry in the dryer, dog hair on the floor, and toys…well.. everywhere. Cleaning during the day is a thing of the past. Actually, almost anything that falls under household or self-care is a thing of the past. There are days where I don’t drink nearly enough water because the act of leaving the play room to go refill my cup in the kitchen is nearly impossible. And besides, it’s not like I have time to use the bathroom anyway.
The toddler is in full-blown “high maintenance” phase, which means short naps and demanding my undivided attention in one way or another whenever she isn’t asleep. And whenever she isn’t getting my attention the other one needs it. (And to be completely honest, the one that isn’t even born yet is already making her own demands on my energy level, so she is not to be counted out either.)
I love my kids, and even on the hardest of days I wouldn’t trade being here with them for the world. This phase will pass and someday my to do list will include more than just playing referee and distributing snacks.
But for now, most days just keeping kids happy, fed, and dry is a full-time job.