Stay-at-home mom says caring for son is the best job

Published 3:00 am Tuesday, August 8, 2017

When the dart landed on the Troy Recreation Center Monday, Lisa Merrill was at the playground watching (and sometimes chasing) her 2-year-old son A.J.

“He’s very active,” Merrill said. “He likes to run off to the parking lot; I can’t sit down for long.”

Born at just 23 weeks old, medical issues at A.J.’s birth required Merrill to stay home with him as he recovered.

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“He spent some time at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham,” Merrill said. “Thankfully I was able to stay home with him; some people wouldn’t be able to do that.”

Two years later, Merrill said A.J. has come through al of those issues and occasionally hard to keep up with.

Merrill said she and A.J. have gotten that activity out by coming to the recreation center almost every day since the walking trail was extended recently.

“For one thing, I need to stay active,” Merrill said. “As a stay-at-home mom it would be easy to sit at home. Another thing is I like for me and him to get out of the house and get some fresh air.”

Merrill said A.J. can be a handful at times, but that staying home with him has been a wonderful experience that she has loved.

“This is the best thing,” Merrill said. “Me taking care of him. I could be working full-time or taking care of him full-time.”

As a first-time mom, Merrill said she’s glad she chose to stay home with him and go through the experience.

The most difficult part of being a stay-at-home mom is time management, Merrill said. “I’m still working on that”

Editor’s note: “The Dart” is a Messenger feature highlighting everyday people around Pike County. Each week, a Messenger reporter will be throwing a dart at a map of Pike County and feature a story on someone out and about in the area where the Dart lands.