September 2006

The Mommy Wars

"An alarming number of college-educated women are leaving the work force to stay at home and raise their children, a trend that is a tragedy not only for the mothers, but ultimately their children and women as a whole," says Linda Hirshman, a law professor and working mother. (See the original article.)

So what's wrong with that statement? Well, plenty. Freedom of choice is still alive and well when it comes to your career. If you're a young mother, you certainly shouldn't feel guilty if you decide to stay home and raise a family. In fact, your children may be better off as a result. And you can always go back to work later on, when your kids are older.

Work or stay at home? Actually, you can do both. Many women have discovered a way to work at home while raising children, thus having the best of both worlds. Typical ways to work at home include writing on a freelance basis, running an online business, and consulting in a variety of fields.

Taking care of children full-time is not a "tragedy," nor is it hurting modern society in any way. In fact, our society would do well to rediscover the value of full-time parenting. It's the most important job you will ever do.