First Day of School

Let me start this post by saying I've imagined this day for years - over ten years. And especially for the past oh, five years or so, I've wondered (okay, obsessed) what would it be like to have all my children in school? What will I do with my time? How will I fill it? Should I get a "real job" (since we all know being a stay-at-home-mom isn't really work)? If so, what job? Engineering? Go back to school and pursue a different career track? Nursing? Teaching? I've polled all my friends and acquaintances who are/were SAHMs and everyone seemed to know exactly what choice to make - everyone except me that is. So needless to say, I've given this day some thought - a lot of thought. So much of my identity the past ten years has been wrapped up in being Mom to my children. Will I lose my identity when they're all in school?

Now, with the first week of the school year almost behind me, I can honestly say I believe I have made the right decision on how to fill my time - the right decision for me, that is. In a few weeks I will begin my second year as a math tutor at a local community college. The job takes less than 15 hours a week, doesn't pay well, and is incredibly low stress. In other words, it fills just about as much time as I am willing to give to a job at this stage of my life, allows me to contribute a tiny amount to the family finances, and is the perfect complement to being a mostly-SAHM of school-age kids. I'm always home when they are, work will never take precedence over my children, and I really ENJOY helping college students figure out how to solve math problems (especially Calculus and Statistics).

Even though they don't require my presence as much now, I know my kids need me now as much as they ever have. I want to be available to them for parties, field trips, homework, and just to talk to about whatever is on their minds. So I have finally, after years of soul-searching, discovered the answer to the question, "What will you do when your kids are all in school?" I will work a few hours a week while the kids are in school, but more importantly than that I will remain available to be a mom to my children. And that is the most important job I will ever have.