13 Truths No One Told Me About Being a Stay At Home Mom

Disclaimer: The following post could definitely be considered a "complaining post," and I'm taking a bit of a risk in posting it. But, I'm having one of those days weeks, and besides, this stuff really is true. Is it a pretty truth? Nope, but being a stay at home mom isn't always pretty, so here it is--the stuff no one told me about the hardest job I would ever have.

1. Some days, you will have to convince yourself that showering is necessary. Toddlers don't care if your hair is greasy, so the time and effort needed to shower seems a bit unnecessary some most days. As far as shaving your legs and putting on makeup? Ha, those things are for people who leave their house on a regular basis.

2. No matter how many things you do "right," you will have "mommy guilt." Nothing you do will ever feel like enough.

3. People without children (and some people with grown children) will have trouble understanding your life. They will ask you what you "do" all day, they will assume you can't join them for a night out and they will think you're being ridiculous when you insist on knowing plans ahead of time so that you can factor in feeding and sleeping schedules.

4. The most romantic thing your husband can do for you? Unload the dishwasher.

5. Almost overnight, you will forget about wanting the latest clothes and gadgets because listening to your husband sing to your toddler makes you realize you really do have it all. Somewhere inside you, though, you will still wish you had an iPad, a Carribean cruise and jeans that fit.

6. When well-meaning friends invite you to go out with them, it will be painful to turn them down, since babysitters cost money and all your money is tied up in diapers and college funds. When really well-meaning friends offer to babysit so that you can go out, it will be really painful to turn them down, since dinners and movie theaters also cost money.

6. You will stress about things you never imagined. "Is she drinking enough milk? They say she should have 24 ounces a day. But she can't have too much milk--it interferes with iron absorption!" "Are those shoes approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association?!" These are things you will actually think and even say aloud. This can cause trouble in social situations (see #3).

7. The isolation is painful sometimes. You will find yourself willing the phone to ring and counting the hours until your husband arrives home from work so that you can just talk to someone.

8. You will become one of "those parents" who refuses to mess with your kid's naptime. Even if you swore up and down that you would teach your kid to be "flexible," you will quickly realize that messing with naptime is painful for everyone and you will hurry home any day to avoid a meltdown.

9. Even though you know how important it is to read to and play with your child, some days it will feel like a chore, and you will instead choose to log onto Facebook for the 27th time. Enter "mommy guilt."

10. When (older) people tell you, "These are the most wonderful days of your life! Enjoy every minute!," you will want to strangle them. Don't they remember what it was like to have a screaming toddler hanging on their leg while pulling a burned dinner out of an oven that hasn't been cleaned in months? Same goes for people who tell you, "You're so lucky!" Yes, I am lucky, but I'm also exhausted, stressed and lonely. Staying home with my baby was a choice and I made a lot of sacrifices for it to happen.

11. You will be both busier and more bored than you have ever been in your life. You will wipe counters, high chair trays, floors, noses and backsides all day. These are not mentally stimulating tasks.

12. Yes, you will be home almost all the time. But no, your house will never be clean. After staring at your walls and baseboards all day, the last thing you want to do during nap time is scrub them.

13. You will accept the boredom, the isolation, the monotony, the stress and the guilt because your child will be your entire world and at the end of the day, its a small price to pay.