Stay at Home Mom's TEACH!

I recently made a funny observation. A lot of Mom's now call daycare SCHOOL. I think that is great. I know daycare's have curriculum's and childcare professionals working every angle. I was a women's studies minor in college. I certainly think every woman has a right to work and career,  and would never judge a woman for putting her child in day care or "school". But, there is a backlash. It used to be that men looked down on women who stayed home to raise their children. Women looked down on women who worked outside the home. Feminist's spent most of the 60's ( and 70's) for that matter writing thesis after thesis about the undervalued and overworked stay-at-home mom. Feminists to this day write articles that break down what a stay at home mom does and how much it would cost to hire an outsider to do these things that seemingly go under the radar with barely a THANKS. Women fought to be valued. And, to a large degree I think it worked. You would never catch a man saying a woman who stays home with her children is lazy. In fact in has turned into a luxury more then anything else. Women who stay home (in the middle class at least) are seen as being well-to-do. But for others, it is a huge financial sacrifice. We COULD go to work, but CHOOSE not to. I myself am choosing to stay at home. It is not easy. I could make A LOT more working, but I am trying hard to stay home because I want to see my child grow, and because as of right now, I can. I think it is sad that most women say "I wish I could but, I can't" when it comes to staying home with their babies. But, it also seems like a lot of women, just DO NOT want to "be stuck" at home. They feel it is a 'waste' of their brain. Alas, their is still the subjugation of the stay at home. Some things never change? Now it seems stay at home mom's also have to compete with an idea that we are not TEACHING our children and that they are better off in "school".  I recently made a joke on facebook that I was going to start referring to myself as "home schooling" my daughter and women, mainly women who put their kids into day care basically told me that I was not qualified to teach my child. At least that is how I took it. I am hurt, I am angry. A man would never get away with saying that to me. Women would be all up in arms, but because another woman does--it is fine. We can't judge a woman who puts her kid in "school" but she can judge me for staying at home. The point was made that most stay at home Mother's just "observe" their kids and don't do much past keeping them safe, and can't call it school unless we 'teach'.
teach·ing  (tchng)

n.

1. The act, practice, occupation, or profession of a teacher.

2.

a. Something taught.

b. A precept or doctrine. Often used in the plural: the teachings of Buddha.

adj.

1. Of, involving, or used for teaching: teaching materials; teaching methods.

2. Working as a teacher or in teaching: teaching assistants.
The art, practice, occupation of profession. Well, I may not be certified in early childhood education, but I most certainly practice daily, hourly the act and practice of teaching...Every moment with a child at home is one on one advanced study. Children listen to you speak, sing, they observe you, mimic, you. I do not sit back and watch cable and soaps  all day, in fact, I do not have cable! I am sad, that another woman assumes that those of us who choose to stay at home, sit back, and do nothing all day--or merely observe. I would like to ask them, on the weekends, do YOU do NOTHING? Merely observe your child? Certainly not! Being a stay at home Mom is very involved, and a LOT of work! I am very active and playing with my daughter. I talk to her all day. I read to her. I sing to her. I am teaching her sign language and vocabulary. I hold her. I love her. I give her one on one attention and love that she can not get at "school". I feel very hurt and angry that I have to justify my choice as a stay at home Mom and now I have to explain and clarify what I do all day so I can say she is learning?
So for those of  you who are not stay at home mother's, I thought I would type up an example of my "typical" day as a stay at home Mother who TEACHES....

3:30 am-wake up and breast feed the baby. nap.
6:00am-wake up and breast feed the baby. nap.
7:00am-wake up with daddy--daddy/baby cuddle play time
7:30am-I usually put the baby in her pack and play while I make breakfast (pack lunches) and make coffee
8:30am-baby gets her breakfast cereal and finishes off with a cuddle and breast milk.
9:30am-music time--while we dance and sing (learning songs! and nursery rhymes!)
10:30am-picture book and reading/cuddle
11:00am-nap
12:30-baby lunch time (home made puree'd with love food, at that!)/breast milk
1:00-2:30-walk around block or trip to library/store (where I talk to baby--"see the car? what sound does a car make?..."what color is that?" "red!" where else do we see red?!" see the doggy? what sound does a doggy make? "woof"---etc)
2:30/3:00 breast milk/snack and a nap
4:00pm-independent play with TONS of educational toys...while I start  clean/dinner. (here we usually listen to music or she will watch some video in background--like signing time--http://www.signingtime.com/?gclid=CIiC77G0mKsCFUuK4AodwQ48Dw--that we just took out from library, keep in mind i also sign with her all day as we talk!)
5-6:00 dinner we all sit at table baby in high chair, and we talk about day and life and eat!
6pm-7pm- baby and daddy play
7pm-bath time
7:30--book and cuddle before bed
8:00--bed time

11pm--breast milk?
4am--breast milk?

I don't know about YOU. but I see A LOT of learning and teaching in there....