A Stay-at-Home Mom with a College Degree

I didn't go to college so I could get a job. I didn't go to college because everyone goes to college. I didn't go to college because my ultimate dream was to work in my field of study. I went to college because I wanted to. I went to college because there were things I wanted to learn. There were classes I wanted to take, people to meet, things to experience, and an opportunity to learn really important and interesting things about the world and how it works.

How is this relevant? Well, today I am a stay-at-home mom. I don't know what the future will bring, but I know that I would like to be a stay-at-home mom for a while. I know that I want to homeschool my daughter and any future children we are blessed with. So in the immediate future I don't plan to "use" my college degree in a traditional job-related sense. It might be tempting to think of my college education as a "waste," but I don't see it that way.


I learned so much in college. Afterwards I was able to get my first "grown up" job, and I learned so many life skills and had wonderful opportunities there. Those were very valuable experiences. And even if I never work again (which is very unlikely) I think that those experiences were well worth it.

I will be able to relate to others who have gone to college and who work, and I will be able to encourage my children from experience to attend college. I loved the opportunity to learn about mathematics, education, theology, to become a better writer, to study literature, to take history classes. Almost everything I learned in college I value knowing today, even if I never have a job where I use my degree.

Now, all of this is not to say that I think every stay-at-home mom should have a college degree.  I also don't think that college is necessary or right for everyone. And if you become a parent without going to college first or before you graduate, I think that's wonderful and I support you staying home at that point if you choose to do so. That's probably what I would have done myself in that situation. I also know that there are some women who feel a strong sense of calling to their career path, and desire to work while raising a family. I'm not saying that's wrong either. We all have different strenghts and callings at different times in our lives.

What I am trying to say is that even as a stay-at-home parent, I value my education. I do not see post-secondary school just as a means to a higher paycheck or as "doing time" to get a piece of paper so you can get a job. I see it as an opportunity to learn more about the world, to develop critical thinking skills that can be used every day of your life, and as a calling and vocation to serve God in that setting. I feel blessed to have been able to attend college, even as I feel blessed to be able to choose not to work away from home at this time in my life.

I love that I will be able to model that love of learning for my kids as I homeschool them some day. They will know that I value education for more than the piece of paper you get at the end, and that is a blessing.

So I thank God for the gift of that college education, even though I am not "using" it to make money right now. I still "use it" and value it every day.