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What comes into our minds when we hear this phrase… “Stay-at-home-mom”? Is it a vision of a mother taking care of a handful of kids at home at the same time doing household chores, with hair tied up in a bun with loose hair falling and sticking on her face with sweat dripping down her forehead? I guess not.
My Story
I was a “stay-at-home” mom since 2005 and I am still one at present. I was a pharmacist working in a military hospital overseas before thinking of settling down. At first, I planned to go back for another contract but I got pregnant with my firstborn so I have to give up the hopes of working abroad and be a mother to my little munchkins.
My military husband asked me if I want a nanny but I answered him a big “NO”, I told him that I can manage on my own and be a hands-on mom. At first, it was a very big adjustment for me, staying in a new city with a new environment and new set of people around me and knowing that he cannot be with me most of the time because of his so-called “call of duty”. Thanks to my versatile personality, I was able to blend in and adjust in no time. Being a “stay-at-home was not a walk in the park, and I learned that motherhood is one of those transforming experiences you can't quite describe in merely words. It was both exhausting yet rewarding.
My Choice
I chose to be one because I want to watch every milestone in my children’s lives. I want to share with them “everything”, I want to be with them in every “First” of their lives. Hear their cries when they stumble on a rock while playing, laugh with them in every silly thing they do, sing, dance and play with them. I want to be present for them in any activity they accomplish in school, cheering them on their accomplishments and encouraging them when they fail. I just chose not to be a bystander mom in the office who could not make it to her child’s recital due to work. We all have our reasons and I know it is not what choice we choose but how we stand up for that choice. At first, my hands were full taking care of my 2 kids and the days passed so quickly I couldn’t even grasp it.
My First Step
Then I got pregnant with my third child, and reality struck me hard while I was waiting for my son in his kindergarten school. I realized, I don’t want to be idle and just sitting with my co-parents waiting for the kids to finish school. I wanted to be productive at the same time be with them. I asked one of my friends on how to be an online English teacher and I voluntarily took the training.
Another Big Leap
That was the start of my Work-at home mom days, I was able to work at the comfort of my home at the same time spend quality time with my children. I enjoyed its perks, being able to plot your schedule at your convenient time, be able to travel at the same time do teaching and most of all, I was earning. But I am always a person thirsting for new learning and experiences. I stumbled into Virtual Assistance jobs and got curious on what a virtual assistant does… Luckily, I came across a post from Filipino Virtual Assistance and be able to enroll as a trainee under the ever-dynamic coach and owner, Ms. Julmar Grace Locsin. Step-by step, I am getting the hang of it. I know, it is a big leap for my career but I am challenged to do it. I still I have a long way to go but there’s no way but to go forward. At present, I am so much into Social Media Management, Administrative Support and of course Medical Transcription.
Stay-at-home mom to A Work-at-Home Mom
Now, I no longer see myself as a stay-at home mom but a work-at home mom instead. I always keep myself presentable whether I am at home or not. I guess, being at home is not an excuse not to keep yourself attractive. I am happy and content with what I do. Now I say, I am a stay-at home mom, a chic and a confident one.