too many cooks

Stay-At-Home Mom Reveals The Major Reason She Dreads The Weekends

Sometimes, an extra hand isn't helpful.

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A stay-at-home mom is going viral for revealing the No 1. reason why she absolutely dreads the weeke...
@rachonlife / TikTok

Moms are never really “off the clock.” Though working moms tend to go into offices or their places of work, they still come home and immediately switch into “mom mode.” For stay-at-home moms, their home is their office. There’s no switch that goes on and off for a stay-at-home between being an active parent and an employee. Taking care of their kids and their home is their job, and as we know, being a SAHM is pretty much the hardest job out there.

Since the home is typically a SAHM’s domain — organized and running just how they like — when other people (AKA spouses) come into the picture, things can get a little tense. One SAHM posted on TikTok exactly how this feels on the weekends when you’re a SAHM. She reveals the No 1. reason why she absolutely dreads when Friday afternoon comes.

“Let me tell you about why as a stay-at-home mom, weekends become something that I absolutely dread,” TikTok creator and mom of two, Rachel Gibbs, explains.

She explains that the arrangement she’s made with her husband (he works and she stays home) works perfectly for their family. She takes care of the kids and the house, and he works to support their family financially.

However, she explains that when you’re a SAHM, the weekends do not equal rest and relaxation, even if others encourage you to sit back and relax.

“But imagine you wake up at work every single day. Even on your days off, you wake up at work, and then you're expected to still do your job, but you're also like surrounded by people who are like, ‘But it's your day off. Like just chill out, it's your day off,’” she said.

Though she felt encouraged by her husband to rest on the weekend, she explains that he doesn’t know how the house runs the other five days of the week, eventually leaving the house in shambles.

“But then you look around and shit's going wrong at work, and like there's someone else there who like, doesn't work at your job, but they're like trying to help and do stuff, but they really don't know where to go,” she continued.

Gibbs clarifies that her husband is very involved and present with their children. However, she is the default parent.

“Being a stay-at-home mom is my job,” she said. “I am at work every single day. From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep to the 3 a.m. toddler run into the rooms, right? I am always at work.”

She jokes that when Sunday rolls around, she’s begging for Monday to arrive so she can get back to steering the ship that he “rake in the coals” for to “keep the wheels moving.”

They’re a team, for sure, but Gibbs also knows their very defined roles in their family. When those roles get a bit fuzzy for a bit because someone else is steering the ship, it doesn’t sit right.

“Weekends for sahms do. not. exist. Who’s planning weekend activities? Who’s picking out clothes? Who’s planning for the upcoming week? WHO FEELS GUILTY ABOUT “PAWNING” THE KIDS OFF ON THE “WORKING” PARENT?” her caption reads.

After the video went viral — gaining over 700k views and over 50k likes — hundreds of other SAHMs commented in solidarity with Gibbs’ struggle.

“I’ve been a sahm for almost 3 years. Weekends are SO MUCH HARDER because now there’s an extra person to feed and throw off routine 😅,” one user wrote.

Gibbs replied, “Yes!! As much extra help as it is, in reality it just complicates things for the next week 🥴”

“Yes! I completely get this. Some days it's so over stimulating having him home all day and throwing off my routine that it makes me real cranky 🤣,” another said.

“Right?? Like it feels like yet another child to wrangle at times 😂,” Gibbs said.

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