Career Choices

I'm sure for the last 30+ years since more and more mothers have been going into the workforce the great debate over chosing to stay home with your children vs working outside the home has been full swing. In fact since I've been a mother and subscribing to all sorts of parenting magazines I think at least one a month has an article debating staying home vs not. With Sarah Palin becoming the VP choice it's once again a hot topic in the media. Every day I'm reading an article or seeing a newstory debating her specific choice to be in politics with 5 children at home. So, that's had me thinking. Then on Sunday I had an interesting conversation with a neighbor who stays home with her children for now but perhaps has other career aspirations at some point in the future. And that got me thinking.

When I was growing up my mother worked full time. It was never really an option for me that I would go to college, graduate then purse a career. My mother is pretty liberal in her thinking and I'm sure assumed that I would follow in her footsteps - she who taught me you can have it all...a career and a family. And women hear that a lot..of course you can be a mother and have a career (unless you don't like Republicans then, of course, Sarah Palin is the only mother that positively can not have a career and a houseful of children). I think too there are a lot of moms who are stay at home for now moms but when their children get old enough they will resume their careers or will start a new career. And you know what..good for those moms and for the ones that work and the for ones that stay home and for the ones that manage to do both.

My career choice, however, is to be home for my family. I hope that I will always be able to stay home. I have no aspirations to resume work outside the home (of course if I need to I will absolutely do that). Though it's tiring and frustrating sometimes to be with your kids all the time I love it. I love being able to do what I do with them. And I think that as they get older they will need me at home as much as they do now that they are little. But that's my opinion and my choice. Paul and I have pretty old fashioned roles around the house..I do most everything inside the house (the cooking, cleaning, laundry) and he does the outside (cars and grass). And that works for us. Those are our choices.

My point, I guess, is that I'm sick of hearing people make so many judgments about working moms vs. stay at home moms. Can you have it all? Well, I have no idea. But who are we to judge what someone else chooses to do that they believe is in the best interest of their family. Many families today have more non traditional roles where the husbands are home and the wives work and that works for them. Some moms work because they actually enjoy working and want to have a career and that works for them. I genuinely believe that most people make the choices they do because they feel it's right for their family. And though everyone isn't making the same choices we are let's give them a break! And for that matter, women who do chose to have a career outside the home shouldn't look down on those who don't. Women who chose to stay home shouldn't be made to feel as if their career choice is in any way inferior. It's just that..your choice. And your choice is yours and it shouldn't matter to anyone other than your own family.