"My Mother Never Worked"

     The essay from Bonnie Smith-Yackel, "My Mother Never Worked" actually hits close to home and is a very touchy topic between my boyfriend and I. Not so much the part about social security benefits and all that but the main point of why Yackel wrote this piece.  I have been a stay at home mom for the past ten months ever sense my daughter was born. Before that I worked full time sense I graduated high school, 8 years ago. Having done both, it really bothers me when people have such strong opinions on stay at home moms, saying they have it so easy. This is exactly how my boyfriend thinks too. I'm fortunate enough to not have to be a single parent as a lot of moms I know, but with his way of thinking, most of the time I feel like I am anyways. He thinks that just because he "pays the bills" he doesn't have to help out in any other way. I don't "work" he says, so my job is to take care of the baby plus do all the housework as well, never getting a break or a little help here or there. It's funny to me and I try to explain to him and put it into perspective that I don't get to come home after eight hours to sit and relax, I don't get to sleep in on the weekends, I don't get to call in for sick or personal days, I don't get holidays off, ect. But still, none of that seems to click and I still have it so easy compared to him.
      I believe that people shouldn't judge other people for any reason if they have never walked in their shoes. Same goes for this, people shouldn't make assumptions on certain situations and have such strong feelings towards them if they have never lived the life of it. I give women/moms a lot more credit, now that I am one, then I use to. Having said that, I know there are a lot of men who step up or are the stay at home parent instead and I give them a lot of credit as well. This is why I can completely understand why the mothers daughter in this essay gets so frustrated when the Social Security Office informs her that the death benefit check she is calling on can not be received for her mothers passing because she simply, "never worked". Just because being a mom doesn't come with a pay check every week, it is one of the most important jobs out there and all the things they do on a day to day basis gets taken for granite too often.