What is a mom?

I believe that a mom's primary role in a family is to nurture.  I am a stay-at-home mom but not a maid or a servant although there has been many times when I have felt like one.  I do household chores and cook and grocery shop and run errands and pay the bills because it must be done.  When my children were very young all of the domestic stuff was up to me along with training and nurturing them.  As they got older, my role transitioned into that of a home manager.  This is a blessing that is twofold.  By delegating chores and tasks to my children I am teaching them wonderful lessons in responsibility! These will far out-benefit any formal lessons they receive in science or mathematics regardless of the path they take as adults.  In addition, I am freed up more to focus on that which I do best, which is nurture them and teach them.  I still do many chores, but at this age my kids carry a LARGE chunk of the household upkeep, laundry, and even much of the cooking.  And since they are homeschooled, the older ones are quite responsible and independent, even, in their education.  There are things they are not yet able to do like running errands and grocery shopping and meal planning and bill paying and schedule planning.  My children understand that the whole family benefits when everyone pitches in and contrary to what it feels like society would have us believe, my main objective as a mother is not to do everything for them until they turn 18.  My goal is to have them completely self sufficient before they ever spread their wings and leave the mess.  It is so frustrating to see this ideal under attack in our society where children who have household chores and must pitch in with the family are labeled as abused.  I just cannot understand how that logic makes any sense whatsoever.  I cringe when I see teenagers handed late model cars as straight out gifts, when parents work themselves to the bone to pay for their kids college education (which largely goes wasted!) and when parents become irate and irrational when their child does poorly at school- BLAMING THE TEACHERS!  The other day my 8 year old made scrambled eggs for the whole family, today my 12 year old scrubbed bathroom floors, made dinner, and did dishes.  My 10 year old vacumed, cleaned bathrooms, and did multiple loads of laundry.  Its not child abuse- its called good parenting! They were also hugged, kissed, taught, listened to, praised for their good work.