"What's that again?" you ask.  A SAHM - Stay-At-Home-Mom.  In other words, a homemaker, a housewife, a house manager, whatever you call it.

Before I even go on, I know that this article is going to be long.  So bear with me as this is a topic quite close to my heart.  And I have decided not to be apologetic about being a SAHM, or what I believe in regarding being a SAHM.

On the other hand, I do not condemn women who choose to balance work and home.  It is not an easy job and in a way, I do think that I have taken the 'easy way out' sometimes.

How I became one

Quite by accident, really, although nothing is really an accident in life as 'all things work together for good to them that love God...'  The long and the short of it is that I was jobless when I became pregnant with Dominic, and well, things simply progressed naturally from there.

Why a SAHM? (My personal conviction)

Because I believe that it is important for a mother to be there for her child.  And I do mean physically being there.  One of the fondest memory I have of my childhood is my mother's physical presence throughout my childhood.  Especially when I needed the comforting presence of mommy when I was sick.

Because I believe that children are blessings from the Lord and we are to be 'good steward' over them.  It is a privilege to be a parent.  It is a special privilege to be a mother.  It is not a task to be taken lightly as a soul, a life, a person (or more) is entrusted to us, to mold, to build up, to nurture, to love, to care for, to bring up, etc.  To me, it's a sacred task that warrants more time and dedication than a 8-9 hours paid job outside.

Because I believe that when you entrust the care of your children to someone else, you are giving up part of your parental authority to that someone.  Like it or not, you are giving up the extent of your influence over your children's lives.

Because I cannot bear it whenever I see a child crying in distress, NOT for the mother or the father, but for 'aunty' (maid).  I cannot imagine how my heart will break if that child is mine and in time of his distress, his first source of help and comfort is not me nor his father.