Today, I called a well-known charity in response to their newspaper write-up, which says they are welcoming more volunteers. I got a weird response, though. The woman was taken aback by the fact that I was an individual and not an organization, school group, work program, or someone needing community service hours. Is it that abnormal to want to help people? To want to help someone else's efforts? To find the motivation in yourself without the prompting of a group?
Then I was asked, “Oh, are you a ‘stay-at-home-mom' with spare time?” And I laughed and said, “no,” even though I was completely horrified that someone actually put all of those words together to explain someone's occupation. Really…who in the world started the insanity of the words "stay-at-home-mom?" How about we call it like it is? Come on, I'm begging everybody…it is called a “FULL-TIME MOM.” That would be your full-time job - NOT staying at home. Another natural title is “HOMEMAKER.” A homemaker's full-time job would be the workings of the family home - children or no children. I'm begging everybody, please…I can't take hearing the crazy, long, misworded “stay-at-home-mom” label any longer! Ugh…take pity on my fragile, logical mind! But even more, let's not make motherhood or fatherhood sound like an excuse or escape from employment. FULL-TIME PARENT and HOMEMAKER are normal jobs, and it has nothing to do with “STAYING AT HOME” (not working under someone else's employment)…which is what you are directly excusing when you call someone a “stay-at-home-mom.” Does a parent need an excuse to not be employed? Well, this given title implies a shortcoming and then tries to overcome it by saying, “Oh, she can stay at home instead of going into employment underneath a company." Though not intended, it really belittles the job of a full-time mom or dad. So, can we change it? Can we please get the correct meaning of a mother or father who is responsible for their children's care? Rise up, word lovers, and do protest! This AWKWARD phrase needs to meet its death, for the sake of all that is sensible in language. PLEASE, give parents and homemakers real titles, not long excuses.
Annnnd so…it looks like I will be doing a bit of volunteering to help the elderly.
And hopefully, I have helped the full-time mothers and fathers out there. You deserve your excuse-free title, and we thank you for doing the job!
(And now you won't run out of breath explaining your occupation.) Hooray!
Misty Posey
MistyPoseyMusic.com