Joy A. Mead

I often cringe at being asked this question, “What did you do today?”

As a stay-at-home mama and homemaker, I often wonder how do I even begin to quantify my day’s work? It’s complex and really doesn’t fit into a neat box of what society tells me to be aiming for with regard to the value of my work. 

My weekdays include waking up around 5:15am to get a work out in and be showered, ready to get the kitchen in order and prepare for breakfast.

After waking the children, I prepare and pack three lunches. 

Then there is the serving of breakfast, getting everyone out the door, and driving my daughter and son through traffic to their schools.

I quickly swing by the grocery store after the two school drop off’s to grab a few last minute items. 

Once home, I have a quick bite of breakfast for myself and then carry on to cooking foods for the week, such as tomato pasta sauce, granola, and peanut butter cookies. 

Then there’s family admin to look at with booking the next haircut, dental visit, or eye exam. 

Laundry is very cyclical with cleaning one load and then another quickly piles up. 

Dishes are the same.

Cleaning—there’s always more of that to do! 

Before I know it, I’m back in the car for school pick up’s, followed by being taxi driver to afterschool activities, being a homework helper, chef preparing dinner, bedtime routine facilitator, and being a counsellor to emotionally support my children. 

I am “on-call” to comfort my son, usually around 3:00am, who occasionally still wakes with a nightmare.

Before long, it’s 5:15am again and I’m waking up to do a similar pattern for the next day!

The reason I find this general small talk “What did you do today?” question so difficult is because it doesn’t address the vast differences between work in the home and paid employment. Both types of work are needed in society but really they cannot be readily compared as if one is more important than the other. 

The word “do” in the question hints at productivity by worldly standards. I don’t receive a salary for the mothering and homemaking work I do at home. My work isn’t quantifiable on a spreadsheet or in how many business emails I send out—the task of motherhood just doesn’t work like that. 

Instead, perhaps the biggest measure of a mama’s work would be to take it all away for a day or even a week, maybe a month. Without the work of wives and mothers, there would be many husbands and children with hungry stomachs, dishes and laundry piling up high, and life would generally be chaotic without the organisation and administration invested to keep the household running smoothly. 

But more than that. If the world lacked loving, devoted, and caring mothers, there wouldn’t be much beauty, love, kindness, compassion, and generosity to spread around. You see, mothers represent the heart of God in a unique and special way. Mothers show God’s  love with every hug, kiss, kind word, and meal served.

On British Mother’s Day, I want to praise and applaud all the mums, moms, and mamas who, without fail, show up and work hard daily for their families. Even when the little details you do go unnoticed, you are making a big difference to your family. Your love emulates God’s love for all his children and gives your family a tangible way of encountering that love.

God sees you.

He loves you.

He is proud of your service to your family.

He delights in you, Mama.

Though often hidden, your work is invaluable.

The measure of mama’s work is priceless.

It doesn’t fit neatly into the world’s standards of work but makes so much sense in God’s design for having a healthy, thriving family life. 

Mama, you are showing Jesus’ love every single day! 

Keep going and know that your family life is so much better because of you being a wonderful mother. 

You’re not JUST a mum! 

Be proud of the role God has given you. 

You are a mama! Full stop.

Beautiful. 

Loving. 

Resilient. 

Giving. 

Over and Over Again.

Exactly how God made you to be! ❤️