I have not worked since ds was born and I do all the work at home - cooking from scratch, cleaning, laundry, ironing, childcare, I mow the lawn, deal with all the household bills and accounts, house renovation planning, I am responsible for all our banking, I do the nappy changing, did bf etc. And that is without ANY HIRED HELP AT ALL - no nanny, no cleaner, no gardener, no cook, no accountant, no architect, no maternity nurse !!!
I hate a lot of it - for instance, I really find laundry boring and it does not provide any mental stimulation for me - it is a repetitive thankless task.
I want to return to work outside the home eventually, because I miss it and I would be lying if I said otherwise.
BUT (and I think this a really big one) I am so glad that I have been with my ds during this formative period in his life - I am so fortunate to have been with him every day and to see all the little developments as they happen. And I have found it very interesting to watch it firsthand - alot of very intelligent men and women have spent careers studying early childhood development and I have been fortunate to watch it unfold and to interact with it every single day. I doubt that I will lie on my deathbed and think, "If only I had spent less time with my ds and more time with my employers - it would have been a happier life."
I am a very lucky person. I know that I am a talented woman, who can cope with the boredom and the joys of working outside the home AND with the boredom and joys of being at home full-time with small children. I HATE to blow my own trumpet (can you tell?), but I think that I am unbelievably capable woman - who knows her own mind and makes choices and sacrifices accordingly.
I am going to have lots more children because I think the world needs more folk like me .