In her new book Mommy Come Home,Author Interview – Mommy Come Home Articles author Sandra Gillmore strongly advocates the role of “full-time motherhood”. Some may disagree with the book’s premise that mother should eschew career and stay home with children (in lieu of day care or even dad or a relative providing in home care). I found the value of this book to be for readers who have chosen the “stay at home” route and are seeking support and encouragement in this decision. Sandra Gillmore shares a veteran’s experience and perspective and has so many wonderful tips and suggestions to share. Women choosing to voluntarily walk away from careers to pursue the vocation of motherhood are often met with resistance, financial concerns and a lack of 출장마사지. A new mother may find herself isolated and uncertain as she attempts to ascertain her new identity in life. Mommy Come Home is a great tool for women facing or considering such transitions. Sandra Gillmore gives readers many pearls of wisdom to aid them in the journey of parenthood.
As a single person, I worked in various office positions, and prayed for the Lord to send me a devoted Christian husband. God powerfully answered my prayers to the point that I wrote a song for Dave entitled, “You are the Answer to My Prayers.” Dave and I have been married for 20 years and we have been blessed with ten children, ages 19 down to 1 year in age. We both shared the vision for a large family and grew into the homeschool lifestyle. Over the years we’ve opened our home to exchange students, foreign refugees, college renters and the mentally ill.
Currently our quiver is full of our own family members! Our children are very active in sports, music and scouts. I get involved with fundraisers and love to cheer them on in their activities. I enjoy singing for church which occasionally includes weddings and funerals.LH: Sandra, what is the main message of Mommy Come Home and what prompted you to write the book?
Mommy, Come Home is my love letter to all moms! I’ve heard you stress-out on the soccer fields. I’ve seen you cry at church from the pressure. You told me I was lucky I could stay home. I’ve tried to console you through the rat race. I’ve prayed for you. But I never wanted to hurt your feelings. I never had the courage to tell you what was on my heart through the Holy Spirit’s leading. The message of Mommy, Come Home is that God is calling each mother to embrace her vocation to motherhood. This is your call that no one else can replace as God intended. (Not even grandma or daddy.) You have been given special gifts to share with your children in a most generous way.
This world is not family-centered. The world wants to pull you away and make you too busy to effectively mother your children. Picture yourself ordering your favorite dessert in a restaurant only to have the waiter bring you one small bite! Wouldn’t you want more? ‘But it’s the highest quality of this dessert on the market, ‘the waiter tells you. Our children want and need more – not more stuff – more of our time. There is a way out of this madness. You have a choice.LH: For families who have become reliant upon two incomes, can you offer some creative suggestions to help ease the financial transition when Mom decides to stay home full time with the children.
By eliminating, in large part, the extraneous expenses of working outside the home (such as more gas, wear and tear on your vehicles, or even the need for an additional vehicle, business attire, fast food, childcare) and adding an enormous tool called flexibility to your schedule, you will be set up for a new way of thinking and spending. The focus is on saving instead of earning. Simplicity is the key. Try asking yourself, ‘Is this a need or a want?’ whether it’s a new home, car or a toothbrush. (i.e.: do you really need the $5 variety or will the 88 cent version do the job?) Try drinking filtered water (from your own filter if possible.) Milk, juice and soda are quite costly and don’t offer much in the way of nutrition. Good quality vitamins can prevent a lot of expensive and time-consuming trips to the doctor. Consider shopping at various discount stores and make home-made cooking a top priority. Nothing has to be fancy. Instead of buying ingredients for a recipe, just buy whatever is on sale and then cook accordingly when you get home. If we need fresh produce, for example, I come home with whatever fruit is on sale for that week. This is a great way to keep more variety in your kitchen too.
For vacations, state and national parks are a treasure to behold. If you bring your own food you’ve already saved a bundle of money. Just pack the cooler(s) and you can make great day trips or camp, or even rent a housekeeping cabin. It’s incredibly less expensive than motels and amusement parks. And what could be more exciting than exploring ‘God’s playground?’ For other entertainment, don’t forget the library. Many libraries offer free concerts and other entertainment. Also, local museums and zoos almost always offer a family membership. This is usually a wonderful bargain for a family. Make use of this and you won’t fall prey to the lure of the expensive entertainment industry, which is usually full of negative messages that conflict with our Christian faith anyway.
Don’t be afraid to accept hand-me-downs, shop at thrift shops or garage sales for clothes or other items. There are some great discount stores around too if you make it a point to scout them out. I personally don’t enjoy shopping because it is so time-consuming. However, I make a point to shop during low-traffic times and that makes a huge difference. It’s the flexibility factor that will prevent you from feeling rushed all the time and missing out on bargains.
