When I chose to quit my job and stay home with my babies, there were some things I missed: Intelligent conversations with coworkers, the mental stimulation of a job I truly enjoyed, a job schedule with obvious time slots. Still, I gained time with my children that I will never regret.
Now I’m looking back twelve years later from the beginning of that journey, I realize I gained some surprising other things as well.
- My blog was born out of a need to communicate, and the discipline of writing each day (something I was able to do before we started homeschooling) started a journey that has been fulfilling and fruitful. The need to communicate was a direct result of my choice to stay at home.
- The time of relative isolation as a new mother gave me a place to think and observe God’s truths in a profitable way. As my babies became toddlers and preschoolers, I was forced to articulate God’s truth simply. Children don’t politely ignore meaningless rhetoric!
- When I slowed down, I started to discover the physical world in a new way. Slow walks with toddlers meant I had an opportunity to look at bugs and stones and leaves closely. They started asking for names of the birds they saw, and I discovered the world of taxonomy. Ten years of examining little things slowly has made me a lover of physical science in a new way. Had I stayed teaching English and education, I wouldn’t have had time to develop this new part of my life.
- I’ve grown in my love for serving my local church. I have the flexibility and time to make visits, and I have enjoyed serving God alongside my children.
Being able to stay at home is a gift, and I know that not every mom is able to do so. Without question, I lost some things when I left the work world to nurture my children full time, but I have gained things of value, too.
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