Mom 4 Biz

“Who’s picking up the kids?”

The catch phrase of most any conversation I’ve had with a family member in recent weeks has had that question in the middle. Somebody is working at a full time job, another is working part time and the rest are off to whatever event they’ve chosen to fill their time with… but then there’s the stay at home, work from home mom in the midst. Call her.

After a couple of weeks surrounded with relatives, the frustration levels run high. I’ve been a stay at home, work from home mom for years, refusing to send my kids to daycare to learn what they needed to know before school started. Then, steadfastly home schooling so I could take the kids with me when my work required I travel, because I wanted to be the one raising my children.

I’ve caught every manner of flack from my family for choosing The Road I’ve Traveled Down, often, because my children weren’t learning what THEY thought my children should be learning. I’ve got the only kid in the bunch that went to college – and she home schooled for 12 years. YES, she passed all the entrance exams to get into college.

So, now, with teenaged boys still at home (yes, home schooling), I’m the one everyone calls when they need a babysitter “so they can get to work on time”. Can one of the boys come by and watch the kids for an hour or two? It’s an easy fix, the boys get a credit for the day as childcare/family living, and the family member gets a babysitter. Then there’s the next question of who will drop the kids at daycare, or preschool?

“Will you come drop the kids off at daycare?”

Of course, I have nothing else to do with my day. Working from home means I’m available to run kids around all day.

I could say, “No.” But, then there’s the other side of this issue.

I’m a firm believer that children should be taken care of by people who love them. I love them, each and every one of them. I’d have a house full of babies if I could afford them, because I love kids.

So, what’s the problem?

The problem is that if you’re going to condemn my choices for raising my own children at home, without the added problems of daycare, preschool and public education options, then don’t force me to deliver your children to those places – unless they’re truly “better for the child”. In the case at hand, I’m seeing many issues of communication, need for speech therapy and phonetic education because the children can’t speak properly. The daycare, preschools and public schools aren’t helping because the children are surrounded by other children who don’t speak properly either.

I will care for your children, love your children, feed your children and even TEACH your children. But, please do NOT ask me to deliver your children to a glorified babysitter paid for by government dollars, that I’m COMPLETELY opposed to using. If you MUST send your child to such an institution, please do so without my implied blessing. I’ll try to be encouraging to your child, if they must go, but don’t make me take them.

I’m a firm believer that if children can’t be cared for by a parent, they should be cared for by the next best thing — Auntie or Gramma.