Interview with Michelle Loebbaka

Partial Transcript: "So my first question is, so for you, what was it like
growing up with a stay at home mom at home?"

Segment Synopsis: Michelle Loebbaka's (ML) mother was a stay at home mom for most of ML's childhood and so she was very close with her mother. ML's mother would work part-time during the school year while she was in school and then quit her job in the summer. Her grandmother lived with her family for a few years. Her mom did the typical household choirs and ML helped a little bit. Her mother loved to cook and bake.

Keywords: Baking; Childhood; Cooking; Stay at Home Mom

Partial Transcript: "So we know what kind of things your mom did, what did your
dad do around the house?"

Segment Synopsis: Her father cut the grass, shoveled snow, and did other odd tasks around the house. LM joked that her father "did the men's work" and probably did not help her mother as much as he should have. Her father worked Monday through Friday about forty to fifty hours a week for State Farm Insurance as a claim's adjuster for car accidents. He worked there for about thirty years. ML joked that her father loved that his wife was a stay at home mom because he liked being spoiled.

Keywords: Family Dynamic; Household Chores; Marriage; Stay at Home Mom

Partial Transcript: "And do you know why your mom decided to be a stay at home
mom?"

Segment Synopsis: Her mother desperately wanted kids, but struggled with infertility. When her mom finally had ML, she didn't want to be away from her. ML spent her childhood hanging out with friends, spending time with her dog, and watching TV with her grandma. She described her mom as always busy doing something.

Keywords: Childhood; Chores; Dogs; Family

Partial Transcript: "And then what kind of things did your mom do outside of
the house?"

Segment Synopsis: Her mother loved to shop, go out to lunch with her friends, and garden. ML's mother had to work part-time during the school year to supplement the family's income. Her mother never went to college and did factory work before she was married. It was common for women to be stay at home moms when ML was growing up.

Keywords: Family Life; Growing Up; Stay at Home Mom

Partial Transcript: "And then, moving from your childhood to you deciding to be
a stay at home mom, have you always wanted to be a stay at home
mom?"

Segment Synopsis: ML said that since she grew up with a stay at home mom, she knew she wanted that for her own children. She also struggled with infertility and so she was very excited when she was finally able to have kids. It was an easy decision for ML to become a stay at home mom. Her mother taught ML many important values about how to treat people. Her husband has a stable job with room for promotion, allowing ML to be a stay at home mom. The family was conservative with their money and Michelle used a lot of coupons. ML did not receive any negative feedback when she decided to be a stay at home mom.

Keywords: Family; Having Kids; Infertility; Stay at Home Mom

Partial Transcript: "And then, could you just explain your current situation
for the record? Like how many kids you have, how old they are, what their names
are."

Segment Synopsis: ML has three sons: Brandon who is nineteen, Spencer who is sixteen, and Tyler who is fourteen. The family has a dog named Snowy. Her sons have been involved in many activities and sports over the years, which she does not believe would have been possible if she worked full-time. ML does the typical household chores as a stay at home mom. She enjoyed cooking and baking just like her mother. She has her sons do chores around the house.

Keywords: Children; Chores; Cooking; Family; Organization

Partial Transcript: "And then, what kind of things does your husband do around
the house?"

Segment Synopsis: ML's husband does many of the outside chores. She discussed her husband's jobs. Her husband usually leaves for work before seven in the morning and gets home around five thirty at night and travels on and off for work. Her husband coaches her son's soccer team. He loves to plan and organize family vacations.

Keywords: Coaching; Family; Husbands; Marriage; Soccer; Vacations; Work

Partial Transcript: "And then, what kind of things do you do outside of the
house, so apart from like the duties?"

Segment Synopsis: She worked at the YMCA part-time for ten years with little kids. She was also active in her local church. She was interested in photography and putting together scrapbooks for her kids. She loved spending time with her aging parents and often takes them to doctors' appointments.

Keywords: Church; Parents; Part-Time Work; Photography

Partial Transcript: "And then, what difficulties have you faced as a stay at
home mom?"

Segment Synopsis: ML said it was difficult to have three kinds in four and a half years. She had to be with them 24/7. There were times when she wished that she worked to have a break from them.

Keywords: Motherhood; Pregnancy; Stay at Home Mom

Partial Transcript: "And, in your opinion, going to the more positive, what is
the greatest aspect of being a stay at home mom?"

Segment Synopsis: ML never wanted her kids to go to daycare and so she was grateful that she was able to take care of them. Now that all her sons are older, ML enjoyed being able to guide them and help plan out their lives. However, she did not think that she got enough credit from her sons for being a stay at home mom, mostly because they never had a working mom who maybe would not have time to do their laundry or other household chores. Her sons would occasionally thank ML for all she does as a stay at home mom. She felt that stay at home moms in general do not receive enough credit for all their work.

Keywords: Children; Chores; Cooking; Daycare; Grocery Shopping; Recognition; Sons; Stay at Home Mom

Partial Transcript: "And then, what would you say to someone in my generation
who wanted to be a stay at home mom?"

Segment Synopsis: ML wanted to emphasize that it is not easy being a stay at home mom, especially when your children are young. If she was not so dedicated to her hobby, she would probably work part-time. She felt that it is very important to have balance in her life. ML believed that one parent should at the very least work part-time if they have a baby or young children, but realized that this may not be financially possible for all parents.

Keywords: Hobbies; Motherhood; Part-Time Work; Raising Kids

Partial Transcript: "Growing up in your household, what was your favorite
memory?"

Segment Synopsis: One of ML's favorite childhood memories was when her mom and grandma made Italian bread, pasta sauce, and meatballs. Her grandmother taught her mom how to cook and ML was able to learn some of the recipes. She always enjoyed cooking during the holidays.

Keywords: Childhood Memories; Cooking; Holidays

Partial Transcript: "And then, going back to the things that you do like around
the house, so over the past nineteen years of your son, how has those duties
changed over time?"

Segment Synopsis: As her sons have aged, she does not have to do as much cleaning because they are not as messy. She no longer has to pick up toys left around the house. When her son Tyler was born, ML's parents moved back to Wisconsin from Florida and her father would play with the kids while ML and her mother cleaned and did other chores. She discussed participating in Kimberly-Clark diaper studies to make extra money when her sons were young.

Keywords: Chores; Cleaning; Diapers; Grandparents; Kimberly-Clark

Partial Transcript: "And then, what is your favorite family activity that you
do?"

Segment Synopsis: She loved taking her sons to the park when they were young to burn off all their energy. As they got older, she loved watching movies and going on vacations with her sons. ML emphasized the importance of taking time for yourself as a stay at home mom, or else you risk becoming resentful of your family. She thought that she took more time off as a stay at home mom than her mother.

Keywords: Activities; Parks; Time-Off; Vacation; Watching Movies