Don't get me wrong - I love staying home with my 3 kids and even when I was getting my MBA I always knew I would eventually have children and want to stay home to raise them - but let me tell you this is the hardest job I have ever had in my entire life! I love this job more than any other but it is by no means a picnic like my husband and working friends act - honestly I am sick and tired of people telliong me how lucky I am to stay home - as if I sleep late every day and watch TV and then go to the beach - I am lucky to be able to have to opportunity to be a stay at home Mom, and I know there are many who wish they could but for all the others out there this is no vacation!! OK just had to vent...anyone else feel the same?????

I totally sympathize - I actually just went to a great parenting seminar put on by PFN and the speaker was Lynne Reeves Griffin, RN, MEd who wrote Negotiation Generation - great book by the way for parents! ANd she said the one thing she hears over and over from parents is "This (parenting) is HARD" her response, "Yea, it is." It is not easy and you are not alone! It's harder steill when friends without kids think they have the parenting thing all worked out! My suggestion - #1 make friends with other parents and #2 go on a girls vacation for a week and leave your husband home (probably wishful thinkning! at least in my house!)