‘What do you do?’ A Christian mum finds the question triggered more than she expected

After my third child was born, I stepped back from my much-loved job for practical and financial reasons. Childcare for all three children was going to cost almost as much as I would earn and so we made the decision that I would stay at home for the foreseeable future. It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, and I didn’t do it because of any ethical or theological standpoint; it was simply a practical action. What I didn’t recognise at the time was how monumental this decision would be for me. I had loved my job – developing volunteers for a charity. It was fulfilling and fun and it satisfied my need for affirmation and interaction with people. I was good at it, and it felt very much the place to which I had been called. Being at home with my children, on the other hand, did not bring very much affirmation or a great deal of fulfilment, if I’m honest. I spent a lot of my time cleaning food off the floor (an exercise in futility if ever there was one), feeling completely exhausted and having no sense of achieving anything at the end of the day. My house was insanely messy, the laundry seemed to multiply exponentially and, even though I was never alone (never – children follow you EVERYWHERE), I was both lonely and craving time to myself! It was not an easy path.