There is a reason this stay-at-home mum’s post about “not working” has been shared 400,000 times

Trine Jensen-Burke

The first day I went back into office work after my firstborn was born, a lovely, glossy interiors magazine publishers back in Oslo, I realised one thing very quickly: Sitting in an office is literally a piece of cake compared what the previous 14 months of my life been, being on maternity leave and home with my baby girl.

And even now, being lucky enough to work flexible hours, and sharing my time between working in the office and working from home, and therefor having more time to spend with my two children, let me assure you that the office part is by far the most relaxing part of my day.

There is this notion, I think, that staying at home with children is some sort of chilled out, relaxing non-job, consisting mainly of swanning around parks and playgrounds and hanging around Starbucks drinking venti lattes with other SAHMs. And while the aforementioned scenarios can, of course, happen from time to time, for most part, being at home with babies and young children is a lot more full on, messy, crazy and really, really hard work.

Recently a Florida-based mum’s Facebook post when viral for pointing out this very misconception, and you’ll find yourself nodding along when reading it.

Mother and tattoo artist, Ryshell Lynch, wrote a Facebook post on the incorrect perceptions surrounding stay-at-home mothers, and the post reads as a hypothetical conversation between a psychologist and a father who complains that his stay-at-home wife, “doesn’t work.”

(Image via Ryshell Lynch/Facebook)

Here is the text to Lynch’ post in full:

Conversation between a husband (H) and a psychologist (P):

P: what do you do for a living Mr. Rogers?

H: I work as an accountant in a bank.

P: Your wife?

H: She doesn’t work. She’s a housewife.

P: Who makes breakfast for your family?

H: My wife, because she doesn’t work

P: What time does your wife wake?

H: She wakes up early because it has to be organized. She organizes the lunch for the children, ensures that they are well-dressed and combed, if they had breakfast, if they brush their teeth and take all their school supplies. She wakes with the baby and changes diapers and clothes. Breastfeeds and makes snacks as well.

P: How do your children get to school?

H: My wife takes them to school, because she doesn’t work.

P: After taking their children to school, what does she do?

H: Usually takes a while to figure something out that she can do while she is out, so she doesn’t have to pack and unpack the carseat too many times, like drop off bills or to make a stop at the supermarket. Sometimes she forgets something and has to make the trip all over again, baby in tow. Once back home, she has to feed the baby lunch and breastfeed again, get the baby’s diaper changed and ready for a nap, sort the kitchen and then will take care of laundry and cleaning of the house. You know, because she doesn’t work.

P: In the evening, after returning home from the office, what are you doing?

H: Rest, of course. Well, I’m tired after working all day in the bank.

P: What does your wife do at night?

H: She makes dinner, serves my children and I, washes the dishes, orders once more the house, makes sure the dog is put away as well as any left over dinner. After helping children with HW she gets them prepared to sleep in pajamas and the baby is in fresh diapers, gives warm milk, verifies they brush their teeth. Once in bed she wakes frequently to continue to breastfeed and possibly change a diaper if needed while we rest. Because she doesn’t have to get up for work.

-This is the daily routine of many women all over the world, it starts in the morning and continues until the wee hours of the night… This is called “doesn’t work”?!