A Forgotten Career- part 2

There's nothing like the smell of homemade bread when you enter a kitchen. With five children and a husband to feed there was always some baking to be done. Cookies disappeared almost as fast as they were put in the cookie jar. Sometimes I would hide half of them in the freezer just to make them last a bit longer. It was always good to see food disappear--not many leftovers and always a chance to try a new recipe.

Oh! And it was always like an outing to go berry picking in the bush. Then a welcome treat of berries with cream and sugar or ice cream at the end of the day.

Many of these jobs that helped bring food to our table were done as a family and were times of learning--not only about food preparation but also many lessons about life were discussed and times of fun accompanied these excursions. Being a cook like this was much more than work in the kitchen, it was part of everyday life.

Being a housekeeper was not one of my favorite parts of being a housewife, but it was truly an important aspect of making a house a home. Our home had a lived in look most of the time. It was impossible to have a spotless house and a happy family at the same time. Children need to learn to pick up after themselves and if I would do it, they'd never learn. Sometimes I thought they'd never learn but when I visit their homes now, I see that I must have taught them something.

The secret to a happy contented life is to be able to sit down with a book or a coffee with a friend and be oblivious to some of the jobs waiting to be done. Ten years later, who'll know whether your house was spic and span, but what you did for a child or a friend will last for eternity. We need to keep things in perspective.

With five children in the house, nursing is just part of taking care of them. Many times a kiss a little disinfectant or a band aid would do wonders. At other times when they were really sick, it would mean sitting up with them however long was necessary to get them well. A few times I ended up sitting in the hospital beside their bed, to comfort them and make sure everything was going the right way.

Counseling was not one that I had counted on, but it became a very important part of raising a family. When the children were youngsters I always dreamt of the day when I wouldn't have all these jobs involved in raising little tots. All I could see was the mound of laundry and cooking that faced me each day. As they grew to be teenagers, I suddenly realized that my business as a mother was changing. I found that I was just as busy, but in a different way. Before as long as they were feed and physical need met they were happy. Now, it was more of a mental busyness. Spending time talking and relating and counseling was certainly more demanding on my person. Much of the counseling was done as we worked side by side doing chores or jobs around the farm. I also had to do a lot of praying thourgh these years. The reward of this now is to see well adjusted adults who are parents themselves and doing a good job.

These are some of the examples of what is involved in being a stay-at-home mom. I think they should be given recognition for the big contribution these women make to society and to our country. As the saying goes, "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world". For every mother that is able to do this be encouraged and take heart that you are important and yours is a most important career. For those who have no choice, but to go and be the bread winner for their family I'm sure you are doing a good job and are to be commended for the very important part you play in raising the next generation.