Mommy Degree

I just want to make something clear.

Someone made a comment today (not to me, but in front of me), and I took offense to it.

Usually I let mindless comments pass by... but I feel like this one needed to be addressed. (And this post is not meant to make this person feel bad, but instead, to educate them.)

I am a Stay-at-home Mom for a few reasons:
     1. It was my number 1 goal in life, to have kids, and be able to raise them myself.
     2. Day Care costs a fortune, and putting 3 kids in it would cost more than I'd be making at a full-time job.
     3. Because I am smart with money, and my husband makes enough for us to survive on 1 income. (And no, cops don't make a lot of money!)

Now, being a Stay-at-home Mom does NOT mean that I am wasting my college degree.

The choice to stay home and raise my children is mine. I have chosen to put my kids first and to put my career on hold until I feel it's time to pursue it. My kids are my life... my heart, my soul, my breath. They are my job. And they are only young once. Staying home with them does not mean I wasted 5.5 years of my life in college.

Let me tell you what it does mean. Making a choice to stay home means that I AM fulfilling my dream job. Just because I have a degree does not mean that what I majored in in college is what I want to do for the rest of my life. My choice is to be a mom. I will be a mom for the rest of my life. That is my job. That is my career. That is my life. My choice.

Yes, I have a college degree. Will I use it someday? Maybe, maybe not. Who's to say you need a degree to be successful anyways?! I know plenty of people who never went to college who are successful... and happy. If I don't use my degree, does it mean it was pointless to get it? A waste of time? A waste of money? No. Not at all. My college experience was a journey. Without going through the process of college, I would not be where I am today. I would not be the person I am today. And I probably would not have the family I have today. College isn't always just about the degree, that piece of paper at the end of a long road. For me, it was about the experiences. The people. The memories... and the challenges.

I am proud of my degree. I am proud that someday I can tell my kids (some of) my stories from my journey through college. I have a degree in Broadcast Journalism. My goal in that field was to be a TV Host. Most people will think I'm crazy, but hey, someone has to fill the shoes of the host, right?! Why not me? Well, life decided to change my dreams, and gave me a child. Then another child. Annnnd yes, another. Now my dream is to raise children... happy, good-hearted, well-mannered, loving, children. To do so, I have to be present in their life. I am a mom. THAT is my job.

Now, I'm not knocking working moms, as I believe the best mom is one that does what they feel is best for their family. I support all mothers, whether they choose to work or not, because we all have to do what is right for us. I just couldn't help but feel like I needed to stand up for moms who stay home, but also have college degrees. Kids are only young for a very short period of time... they will be in school full-time before you know it, and then, if we choose, stay-at-home moms can go back to work full-time.

I guess it just left a bad taste in my mouth when someone said that a stay-at-home mom's degree was a waste.

Afterall, a mom (a parent, really) is the only occupation that doesn't require a degree, but should. ;)