So God Made a Mother is Here! 🎉

Dear stay-at-home moms,

After one week of isolation, I wanted to tell you that you are the real MVPs of motherhood. I know I will probably get some backlash from everyone but listen here, you are my heroes! I’m a working mom. I teach middle school science and at 3:00, I clock out of that job and clock in to my second job of being a mommy. Some days I am completely exhausted by time I arrive at my second job but with dinner, homework, playtime, and bed, the night goes by pretty quickly.

When our governor said schools would be closed for two weeks I had big plans. I wanted to clean out the closets, deep clean the house, donate items, and watch some serious television. This was going to be a nice relaxing break while hunkered down due to the pandemic. But by the weekend, I accomplished zero of those items on my to-do list minus the television. I’ve now listened to Frozen 2 so many times, I think I’m from Arendelle at this point.

RELATED: What if I’m Just Not a Good Stay-at-Home Mom?

From the moment my kids woke up, it was if I’d laced up my tennis shoes for a marathon.

I’ve been cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, and completing school work day in and day out. I’ve had to search for ways to entertain them throughout the day so their brains don’t rot on technology. I’ve eaten the crumbs from their plates as lunch. I took a shower but I never once actually got ready because I didn’t have time to. This week I went to bed more exhausted than working the whole week. Just when I thought I had a pattern down, the little tiny monsters would come at me from a different angle. The bickering, the fighting, the craziness and guess what another month of isolation and NO END in sight!

SAHMs, you are my heroes because you do this daily. You give all of yourselves to your children every single day. After one week, I realize you rarely get a break, eat a full meal, or have the chance to get dressed and you wake up the next morning and do this again. You don’t get a chance to close the office door, clock out, or gossip with colleagues.

RELATED: What Do Stay-at-Home Moms Do All Day?

I hear SAHMs say, “I’m just a stay-at-home mom!”

Sister, you are so much more than that.

You are a mom, teacher, worship leader, grocery grabber, entertainer of the year, and an amazing individual. You are the heart of your children’s physical, social, and emotional well-being and what an awesome job that it.

SAHMs, I know I’m not cut out for this job but I’m glad I get a glimpse of what your daily life looks like. You really do work way harder than I do and you are the unsung heroes of the century.

Friends, if you know a stay-at-home mom, buy her some wine or ice cream, because I know now after spending a week in their shoes, SHE DESERVES IT!

Out of the Spin Cycle is a serious game-changer for motherhood. We can’t put it down! Don’t have time to sit and read? You can listen here, on Audible.

Recommendations in this post contain affiliate links. Her View From Home may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase.

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our new book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Dana Brady

I'm Dana or Dana Sue when my parents used to get fired up about something. I run a tiny blog called Live Simply Blessed which was created on a whim! Through my writing, I hope to encourage others to be strong and courageous. I'm a wife, a mother to four little people and a full-time middle grades educator who runs on caffeine and exercise. I'm passionate about my family, my faith, and adoption. Follow me on Instagram at live_simply_blessed for some crazy photos of me, the ringmaster, and the circus I run here in Kentucky. 

The Miscarriage I Had Decades Ago Is Still a Tender Wound

In: Grief, Loss, Motherhood
Sad feeling woman walking in early twilight

It’s funny how grief tends to bury itself in the recesses of one’s mind until it literally rises from the dead at some point and resurrects through the experience of others.  I did not know how traumatized I was when I lost a baby in 1993 through miscarriage, or what my doctor termed as a “spontaneous abortion,” until a friend recanted his wife’s similar experience to me. The hurt and denial of the past sprung back to the present rather quickly as if it was happening to me all over again. My husband and I couldn’t have been happier when...

Keep Reading

A Mother Doesn’t Lose Herself—She Grows into Someone New

In: Grown Children, Motherhood, Teen
Son kissing his mother's forehead, outdoor photo

A part of us dies when we have a child. And we don’t mind at the time because the child becomes our world and fills the gap that was formed. And me becomes us and I is forgotten. We’ll get our life back one day. We’ll get our self back on track soon—perhaps when they are toddlers, or go to school, have sleepovers, or become teens. But we don’t. Because our life as we knew it has gone. It simply drifted away. And as much as we tried to cling to some small part, it crumbled as we touched it...

Keep Reading

We Have a Lot of Pets and It’s the Best

In: Living, Motherhood
Collage of kids with animals, color photo

We are the house with a lot of animals. Yep, that one. Each time I call my mom to delicately mention we are thinking of adopting another pet, I am met with the same disapproving tone, “ANOTHER dog?” Let’s be fair, we are only shopping around for our third. It’s not that crazy, but I get it’s more than most. Oh, and we also have a horse. But hear me out . . .  My oldest son has autism and used to be terrified of our dog. She was patient with him, she kept her distance, and she slowly broke...

Keep Reading

The Grace and Grief of Being a Medical Mama

In: Faith, Motherhood
Hospital bed and IV stand, black-and-white photo

Medical mama—this title and this view hit me. It hits me at different times and in different ways, but it hits me, hard.  Some days, I crumble with thankfulness that God has such a specific plan for my sweet, golden, middle daughter, that He would make ways where it feels there is no way.  There are other times when it hits me with anger and bitterness because I can’t figure out why, in a world full of medical interventions, this is our “fix.”  It hits me.  In the wee hours of another night in the hospital, it hits me that grace...

Keep Reading

I Buried My Heart with My Baby but God Brought Me Back to Life

In: Faith, Grief, Loss, Motherhood
Woman in a sweater standing outside looking at sunset

Recently, my world felt as if it were crashing around me. I was so angry I think my rage could have burned a small village. Unfortunately, that rage was directed at God though I knew that wasn’t what I needed to be directing toward Him. He owed me nothing then, and He owes me nothing now; however, my heart was shattered, and for a while, it seemed as if my faith was crumbling with it. I stopped going to church. I stopped praying. I stopped all positive feelings and allowed myself to succumb to the pain and the anger. When...

Keep Reading

Dear New Mom, God Is Only a Whisper Away

In: Baby, Faith, Motherhood
New mother holding baby on couch, eyes closed

While we were waiting to adopt, I would wake up in the middle of the night panicky. My mind would wander to the thought of suddenly having a baby. With groggy eyes and a cobwebbed mind, I would ask myself, “Could I get up right now to go soothe a crying baby?” And then the insecurities would flood me as I thought through the difficulty of dragging myself out of bed to give milk to a fussy newborn. I didn’t know if I could.  With each application sent to agencies and social workers, the possibility of adopting a baby became more...

Keep Reading

Look beyond the Labels for What You Don’t See

In: Kids, Motherhood
Three kids sitting on parents' laps smiling

I’ve always said that labeling someone with high- or low-functioning autism, or any disability for that matter, isn’t ever truly accurate. You may see an extremely smart girl who seems “normal” but you don’t see everything. You don’t see how the noises hurt her ears. You don’t see how the bright lights hurt her eyes. You don’t see how hard she struggles to fit in. You don’t see how she struggles to understand the social cues. You don’t see how seriously she takes what you say even if you’re joking. You don’t see the struggles when she’s having an overwhelming...

Keep Reading

And We Rocked

In: Motherhood
Black and white photo of a baby sleeping

My belly had grown and stretched to make room for you. I simply couldn’t wait to see your little face. I sat in your nursery, which was nearly complete, and whispered all the thoughts, fears, and feelings that filled my mind. You kicked in response as if to remind me we were in this together. And we rocked. Everyone told me that babies sleep a lot. But not you. It was as if you didn’t want to miss one moment of this big, beautiful life. I was to my bones tired. You refused to sleep. We continued this merry-go-round where...

Keep Reading

Did I Make Caring for You My Idol?

In: Motherhood
Little boy sitting in lawn chair, color photo

When my disabled son, Lucas, was an adorable little boy, I thought (and declared loudly!) that as long as I was alive and well, I would care for him. I was his mother and no one could ever provide for him as I would. And I completely believed this up until about five years ago. It started with puberty as Lucas blossomed into manhood, shedding his adorableness, and my mental and physical health deteriorated as he grew larger and stronger and became aggressive at times. I whispered to my husband, late at night with tears streaming down my face after...

Keep Reading

When You Look Back on These Pictures, I Hope You Feel My Love

In: Kids, Motherhood
Four kids playing in snow, color photo

I document your life in pictures. I do it for you. I do it for me. I do it because I want you to know I lived every memory. And loved every moment. When you go back through the thousands of moments, I hope it sparks something deep inside of you. Something that perhaps your heart and mind had forgotten until that moment. And I hope that it makes you smile.  I hope the memories flood and you remember how much each moment was cherished.  I hope each giggle and secret that was shared with your sisters at that moment sparks...

Keep Reading