Insight from the In-law

I had a pleasant phone conversation with my mother in law today. I decided to let her in on my little "project" to get her thoughts on it.  She has been a stay at home mom/ homemaker for 30 plus years and in my eyes, she is a great example of what a stay at home mom should be. A June Cleaver if you will. Her house is always clean, she always has lunch and dinner ready, doing crafts and projects with the grandkids, etc.  I caught her up on the project and we chatted for a bit -she asked how it was going and how I was feeling.  I told her what I've been telling you guys about how I'm completely exhausted by the end of the day but the clean house is worth it.  And she made the most interesting observation.  She said "you know its interesting you say that because thinking back, I think subconciously, for me having a clean house at the end of the day was a way for me to validate myself." Interesting, I had never thought of it that way. But its true.  She went on to explain her thinking- Being a full time stay at home mom, its easy to feel looked over.  And if nothing else goes right, like if the laundry doesn't get done, or if I the husband doesn't compliment me on the dinner I worked so hard to prepare; I can look around the house and know that I did something of worth today. I made a clean home. A comfortable home for my husband to come home to. A place that he can relax and unwind.