Being a stay at home mom is hard at times, but the blessings outweigh the costs. Today, I share with you a glimpse of why I stay at home with my children.

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Why Do I Stay at Home with My Children?

Just as we start the day and begin our morning routine, I catch my son staring out the window. I stop for a minute to take in the little lines on his face that still show where he had been sleeping. His strands of red hair need combing. I notice the sun lighting up his hazel eyes.

Coffee mug in hand, I pause, in awe of this seemingly insignificant moment. But it means something bigger to me than just noticing my child sitting on the bed in the early morning hours. Instantly, this simple frozen moment in time brings back a sweet memory of my oldest child 7 years ago, a few days after I left work to stay at home with her.

And as that memory comes back to me, I am reminded of why I stay at home with my kids and how blessed my time with them is.

My 19-month-old son, Liam, stares out the window, and I realize he is staring at some crows in our yard. “Do you see the birds?” I ask him.

“Bird!” he exclaims.

7 years ago, I began staying at home with my oldest daughter, Laynie. She was 22 months old at the time. I had only been home with her for a few days when I saw that she found an interest in watching the birds in our backyard in the mornings.

Staring at her precious little face, watching the innocent awe and amazement, I remember just taking a minute to soak in the joy I felt at that moment. In a flood of emotion, it hit me how blessed I was. I finally had the privilege of being able to stay at home with her and experience the little moments of awe and wonder.

I vowed at that moment never to take my moments with her for granted. These were the things my heart had grieved over missing in the first year and a half of her life. While I was working full-time outside the home, I didn’t get to see them. Sadly, I don’t have many memories of her first year and a half.

Liam staring out the window and learning a new word this morning reminds me of that day when his big sister was his age. Also, it reminds me of three reasons why I stay at home.

Why do I homeschool? Why do I stay at home with my children?

1. Because of how fast time flies.

Children grow up so quickly. I can’t believe my oldest is now 9 years old. Laynie was running around in diapers and pigtails just yesterday, and now she’s doing cartwheels in the yard. Lily is learning how to write her name. Liam is picking up new words every day.

They grow up so fast, and I don’t ever want to waste our short time together.

2. So that I can witness the little moments.

I can’t believe how many things I missed when I was a full-time working mom. I want to stop more often and just be grateful for those little things I could be missing.

Our days are so rushed now, and we tend to stay busy. I don’t want to forget Liam’s chubby little toddler feet slapping on the floor as he learns to run, Lily’s giggles over getting a puzzle completed, or Laynie doing flips outside on our playset.

These moments fly by and can go unnoticed if I don’t stop and appreciate them.

3. Because I want quantity time together.

I am so glad our time together doesn’t consist of rushing to eat breakfast and run out the door in the mornings, or fighting over homework and bathtime in the evenings.

I’m blessed to have an abundance of time with my children during the day, which is unstructured and allows flexibility for spontaneous fun together. We get quality time together (special occasions together) as well as quantity time (unlimited and unstructured time, something that to me, is a huge blessing).

My prayer as a stay at home mom is this:

Lord, help me to soak up these little moments of joy. So that as my children grow, I will not have taken anything for granted. I realize that staying at home with my children and teaching them is a gift from You. Therefore, I pray for wisdom in how I structure our days. Help me to be intentional and grateful. I know that this privilege is only for a short time, with Your blessing on us. Amen.