I have been a stay-at-home mom for over one-third of my life. Until recently it was my only job. I went back to work about a year ago, and thankfully, I get to do that job from home, so I feel very blessed. The other day I was thinking about how many of the skills I use in my job I honed while staying home with kids (time management, scheduling, patience with people), and then I started thinking of all the “skills” I could add to my resume if I was sending one out (and if such skills were permitted on resumes). So, whether you stay home, or work full- or part-time outside of the home, here are a few skills you may not know you are building:
- Educator: Hands on experience in Early Childhood Development. Can decipher an infant’s cry, whether hungry, wet, gassy, or sleepy. Have taught multiple people essential life skills as well as the ability to read, write, count, and sort. Can also manage directing and mentoring the homework load of children ages four to eighteen.
- Short-Order Cook: (I don’t recommend making this a habit, but we have all been there) Can make 6 meals at one time with varying changes and needs regarding diet, pickiness, or bad mood. Specialties include bun-less hotdogs, macaroni and cheese, and grilled cheese sans crust.
- Organizational Expert: Experience includes, but not limited to, keeping multiple people dressed in clean clothes, planning meals, buying sufficient groceries, and keeping a mental tally of multiple moving parts so that all needs are met in a timely matter.
- Manager: Can manage multiple people of varying skills and ages, including, but not limited to, schedules, distribution of responsibility, and reward and punishments systems when needed.
- Expert in Conflict Resolution: Can listen to multiple sides of an argument and remain neutral. Can defuse a situation with humor, angry eyes, or stern speech depending on the circumstances. Can also successfully referee backyard games with a keen sense of rules and guidelines for a variety of sports, including made-up games.
- Event Planner: Can plan anything from a child’s birthday party to a high school soccer tournament. Can plan a meal for two or thirty, complete with theme, diverse menu, and complimentary games or activities.
- Professional Custodian and Laundry Service: Can manage upwards of twenty-five loads of laundry a week—washed, pressed and folded. Proficient in all forms of housekeeping, including bathroom floors (with a specialty in urine-soaked floors and toilet seats).
Next time you feel like all you do is stay home, or you work and can’t get it all done at home, stop and take a minute to imagine what the day would be like without you. I promise, you are doing more than you realize! And these are just the million tasks you are managing. It says nothing of all the love, safety, kindness, gentleness, and beauty you add to the daily lives of all those around you. Like I always tell my husband, “I need to hire a “me” for me.”
Share your “resume boosters” in the comments!
Just now reading this.☺️ I’m always amazed at all the nails I have to trim, and how once I start, I don’t stop until they are all done!So one resume bullet point for me would be: organizing and executing the trimming and cleaning of between 40 to 80 finger & toenails and proper disposal of the refuse. Special service offered: soothing nervous nail owners with oral and physical comforts, and a few tricks of distraction.