Stay-at-home moms catch a lot of flak from people who assume their days are spent relaxing on the couch and catching up on daytime soap operas. Sometimes this ignorant criticism comes from strangers, but other times it comes from their spouses. After her husband suggested that she sat around doing "nothing" all day, one SAHM made an epic time-lapse video to prove him wrong.
"All weekend my lovely partner has been moaning that I do nothing all day, so I thought I'd show him a full day," Gemma Chalmers wrote on Facebook.
"Before I even started this video I had two smashed glasses to clean up as the little man thought it be funny to throw them off the kitchen unit," she adds. "I emptied the dishwasher, gave the little man breakfast, managed to get a quick shower (with the little man coming and checking on me throughout), changed his bum and got dressed myself."
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The video starts around 9 a.m. with Chalmers trying to get her 2-year-old, Kayle, ready for the day.
He, of course, is more interested in reading his book.
She then cleans up the house (which includes making about a million trips up and down the stairs).
Once the kitchen, playroom, and entryway are clean, the mom and her toddler head to a 10 a.m. playgroup.
After returning, it's nap time for Kayle.
Like most kids, Kayle doesn't go down easily. But after a few tries, mom is able to get him to relax enough to fall asleep.
Then, Chalmers takes her "time off" to do some chores around the house.
After some major straightening up of the house, a ton of laundry, and the wrapping of multiple Christmas gifts, she is finally able to sit down for a bit of lunch.
She doesn't get to enjoy her small break for too long, though.
At 2:30, it's time for Kayle's lunch. The little boy isn't too interested in eating at first. Chalmers is forced to wrangle him down from standing on the kitchen countertops before he sits down to enjoy his meal, leaving her to pack a bag for their next outing.
Next, Kayle and his mom rush off to an appointment, then Kayle gets a bit of screentime.
Mom, of course, takes the time to straighten up her son's play area, organizing his toys, books, and miscellaneous clothing items.
After making Kayle's dinner, Chalmers settles in for her own work as a nail technician.
Working out of her home, she finishes up with a customer before rushing to prepare dinner for herself and her partner.
At around 8:30 p.m., it's finally time for Kayle to go to sleep.
Much like nap time, getting the little one to bed isn't an easy feat but it happens eventually. By the time the camera cuts off with a smiling photo of Chalmers, you feel like you've experienced the long, exhausting day yourself.
"So Mr. Jones, no more saying 'enjoy your day off' or 'what have you done all day,'" she writes about the video on Facebook, "because the answer is I've been a mummy all day. Also a cleaner, a driver, a cook, a storyteller, a nurse, a playmate, a toddler wrestling coach, a teacher, an art director, a potty trainer, a champion tickler, a wardrobe stylist, a personal dresser, a laundry operator, a personal shopper, and many more."
Chalmers says the response to the video has been overwhelmingly good.
After posting it on Facebook, she received feedback from tons of stay-at-home parents thanking her for shedding light on what their day-to-day lives are really like. "Every mum I know has said they have shown it to their husbands and they just kept their mouths shut," Chalmers told the Mirror UK. "And it's not just mums, full-time dads said it was really accurate."
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The mother also shared that it may take a little more to convince her own partner, though. "John is not convinced yet. He was like, 'you don't do all that.' I might even make another one now just because of the amazing reaction it got."
