A stay-at-home daughter is simply a young woman who has decided, for various reasons, that instead of moving out of her parents’ house at 18, she’s going to live with them for a time. For some girls this time is brief, while others stay with their parents for years.

Why would anyone want to stay at home, you ask? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for that, but many do it for religious reasons, many for financial, some for cultural, some to take care of family, and others for reasons not listed here. For many young women, the answer is a combination of these reasons.

What on earth do they do? Contrary to popular belief, stay-at-home daughters don’t just stay at home to knit socks, wait on Daddy, and take over Mama’s chores. Just like stay-at-home wives and mothers, girls who decide to stay at home are real people with real interests, abilities, and lives. They simply choose to live those lives near the people who are dearest to them – their families. Every family is different, and every young woman unique, but many of them have jobs and advance their education in some way. However, by not giving up their lives to a college workload or a 9-5 career schedule, they are embracing this time without school or families of their own to take care of, and are throwing open the doors of opportunity.

• Opportunities to serve. Many girls use this time to do missions work, help out families in their churches and communities, and volunteer for local charities.
• Opportunities to learn. Learning is not confined to a 4-year Ramen noodles and term papers plan. Stay-at-home daughters can take college courses without living on campus, as well as taking classes at the local community center or library, or from a friend or relative. Learning is a lifelong journey that can be experienced in or out of a classroom.
• Opportunities to travel. Without the cost of room and board, finances for travel are more readily available, allowing young women to experience new cultures, meet new people, and strengthen current friendships.
• Opportunities to build relationships. Everyone knows that “friends come and go, but family is forever.” Who better to go through life’s everyday ups-and-downs with us than the ones who love us best and will be there for us forever?

But what about the girls who moved out, went to college, and want careers? A Lady in Waiting is not here to put down those girls – everyone decides what they do for different reasons and we can’t say that they’re wrong for leaving home anymore than they can say that the girls who stay at home are wrong for staying. This isn’t about being right or wrong. This is simply about encouraging the ladies who have chosen to live this part of their journey at home. These girls have chosen a path that wasn’t unusual a mere 50 years ago, but has since become an anomaly, and they’re often looked down upon because of their choice. A Lady in Waiting exists to encourage them as they live out their decision, and offer them a publication specifically tailored to their place in life.

If you are a Christian woman, you will probably still find at least some portion of the magazine enjoyable and applicable to your life, but you will not find articles about college admissions, workplace attire, or interview etiquette within our pages. We are able to recommend other publications if that is what you are looking for.

A Lady in Waiting’s purpose remains to “encourage stay-at-home daughters as they serve the King of kings.”

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