Occupation?....mother (you can stick your job as QC, Cherie Blair....)

I was going to blog about the subject of motherhood, and the joys it brings.  I had already started this post, and had it sitting in my "drafts" file!

And then....Cherie Blair comes along, and says the words that have triggered a frenzy of response from SAHM's around the UK.

Have you heard what she said?

Have a read...

“Every woman needs to be self-sufficient and in that way you really don’t have a choice - for your own satisfaction; you hear these yummy mummies talk about being the best possible mother and they put all their effort into their children. I also want to be the best possible mother, but I know that my job as a mother includes bringing my children up so actually they can live without me.”

Her basic gist was, you need to go out to work in order to have fulfilment as a woman.  That choosing to stay at home, and putting all  your effort into being a mother is NOT the best thing to do.  Finally, that somehow we do not raise our children to be independent by choosing to care for them ourselves.

WHAT??

Just, WHAT?

A friend I know online went to register her baby's birth - a homemaker is listed under "no gainful employment"!!!!  No gain in being a mother who stays at home with her children???

Now, I know that we have a God-given motivation for what we do.  That far transcends all other reasons.

But on a purely non-spiritual level, there is no sense in what Cherie Blair claims.  Instead, it sounds like a gibe at those who do not choose the same path in life that she has, and meanly tries to undermine its legitimacy and benefit, by criticising the role of a stay-at-home mum.

She claims that we cannot be truly satisfied in our womanly role, by choosing to stay at home to care for the children that we have been incredibly blessed with.  That somehow, that awesome responsibility and privilege is lesser to the choice to leave them in the care of someone else and to work outside the home. PURELY for the purposes of self-fulfilment, you understand, not just necessity.

What utter tosh.

Staying at home with my children is amazing.  It's filled with special moments that can never be taken away from me.  From daily joys and treasures - seeing them do things for the first time - hearing them say things - watching them as they learn to do a new thing.  To be able to nurture them and train them in the things of life. To teach them how to do many, many things that will be invaluable as they grow up.  As we train them how to live so that they WILL be able successfully live without us when they leave home.  It seems insane that she thinks that leaving them with someone else will BETTER equip them for the task?!

And, YES - I put all my effort into what I do.  It would hardly seem sensible to make the choice to stay at home and then NOT put all my effort into raising my family.

As I may have said before, it's one of the reasons why we go a step further and home-educate our children.  What better way could I choose to mould my children for adulthood, than to personally train them for the task - RATHER than handing them over to the ungodly around me to do it?

Feminism is seeking, day by day, to gain entrance into the lives of Christian women.  We are being told, as a lie straight from satan himself, that our role as a wife and a mother is unfulfiling, under-rated, demeaning to our role as women, unimportant and unecessary.  That we can not be reaching our full potential as women if we do not find employment out of the home. We are even hearing teaching in the Church that it's ok to abandon our God-given responsibilities in the home, to grasp for "more important things" in the workplace.  It's oh, so subtle.  But, it's happening.

Did you ever stop and wonder WHAT possessed you to become a mother?

I mean, look at all those high powered women out there in "working land", with degrees aplenty, and varied and interesting occupations.  All these women promoted by the likes of Cherie Blair - who have reached the highest echelons of working society.

And, you're a MUM?

How interesting and educated could THAT be, anyway?

Well now, what am I?

I am a mathematician - the times in a day that I count are inumerable.  The tiny toes of a baby, whilst ptuting on his socks.  Up and down the stairs with a toddler.  Hearing a little girl count playing hide and seek - "24, 25, 26, 27, 28 19....!!!"

I am an art critic - pictures aplenty, all to be taken in, admired and commented upon.

I belong to the "grammar" police - "I went, not I wented, darling"

I am a language specialist - I can translate from "Abigail" into English,  and am beginning to understand "Elijah" fluently.

I am a cooking genius - well, so I am told by numerous small people and a loving husband.

I am a laundry expert - I can get 6 loads of laundry washed, dried, folded and put away in the course of a day.

I can make dinner, whilst simultaneously....listening to a small child do their reading, unloading the dishwasher, thinking about what I will be doing that afternoon, sorting out a disagreement between 2 small children, conjugating verbs with a 6 year old, doing the 11 times tables with a 9 year old, and assisting a ten year old with a good "-ly" adverb to fit his writing assignment.   WITHOUT burning the dinner.

I am a judge, and jury - sorting out complicated and meaningful issues innumerable times in a day.

I am an accountant, who can juggle our income to accommodate multiple purchases of shoes, for the best price, as each season comes and goes.

I am a stock-keeper, who manages clothes rotation on a bi-annual basis.

I am interior designer - hunting for items of soft-furnishing and such like, to "build my home" into a place of beauty.

I am a teacher - I have now taught 4 children to read, and continue to educate them in all the essential areas of life.

I am a nurse, who can soothe the many ailments of  small people - from cuts, to bumps, to fevers, to little hurts that just need a "special kiss" to make them all better.

I am a musician - providing music and singing throughout the day, and every evening.

I am a politician - who sorts out issues with my "constituents", in line with my "Prime Minister's" requirements.

More than anything else, I am a "religious leader".

I teach and train my children, in the way that the Lord instructs me to, according to the precious word of God.

If we want to talk about being satisfied with our choices, then you are looking at one VERY satisfied woman.  I could NOT imagine wanting to leave my children, in order to find some ill-conceived satisfaction in something OTHER than my God-given role as a wife and mother.  To be off attempting to find joy in an occupation that doesn't involve that sweet, special and incredibly fulfilling bond with my precious children.

Cherie Blair?....

You can keep your QC job.

And I will keep my job as a mummy. :-)