This Husband's Letter to His Wife Will Change the Way You Think of Stay-at-Home Moms

POPSUGAR Photography | Sheila Gim
POPSUGAR Photography | Sheila Gim

People often turn their noses up at the idea of being a stay-at-home mom, but what those individuals don't realize is that being a mom is the hardest job of all. There are no lunch breaks, vacation days, or conference calls, and this husband's letter to his wife praises all the overtime his wife works for their family as a stay-at-home mom.

After a long day in the office known as her home, Kate Douglas felt "defeated" by her two sons, and she needed to go out for a few hours. But when she returned home, she saw this note from her husband, and it will put everything into perspective . . .

"After a hard day at work there is nothing better than clocking off. Some days I get home and see my beautiful wife worn out, tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed by the challenges of being a mum. Unlike me, she has no set hour to clock off or rewarded with overtime or bonuses for all the extra work and effort she has put in during the day," he started his letter. She doesn't accumulate sick leave, annual leave, or long service, no weekly supper or weekend, no looking forward to a public holiday to shorten her week," he started his letter. "So even though today was hard and you feel unappreciated or unsure if you made a difference in their lives, this is how your day really went. . ."

Kate's husband went on to detail her schedule, from the second that alarm clock goes off and it's time to start the day, to the minute dinner is served, and it's applause-worthy.

"Your sons woke from their nice warm beds that have been lovingly washed and made by you. They ate breakfast that was organized a week ago when you wrote out the shopping list. You packed a lunchbox for 1 to go to daycare which you questioned 'is it healthy enough, will he still be hungry' whilst balancing another on your leg, arm, shoulders. You dropped off at daycare where you sat for an hour comforting him because he was having a bad day, letting him know mum will always be there. You returned home where you spent a day with a 2-year-old, holding conversations and toilet training, teaching him how to make his way from toddler to a big boy. You put him down in his bed for a nap making sure he had enough energy to make it through the rest of the day, despite knowing you don't. You spent your limited time between resting, house work, house work, and house work. After all this and little rest you picked up from daycare where you took them to appointments, making sure they are as healthy as can be, Made sure they had dinner, had your first adult chat at dinner, the whole time still being a mum and solving the world's issues.

So when you see a bad day, I see an amazing women who never calls in sick, never quits, never turns her back on the hard days, and who has the power to go to bed knowing it will happen all again tomorrow, You are an amazing and fabulous mother, Even though it doesn't seem like it, you are the greatest thing in these boys lives and we love you, for everything you do."

After what sounds like an incredibly hard day with her boys, this is exactly what Kate needed to hear from her husband. It's what all stay-at-home moms need to hear to realize that their job is not a walk in the park. The home is their office and their hard work is very much appreciated.

This post was originally published on October 30, 2016.