I don’t understand the condemnation of working women from other women.  

When I first had children, there was no way I could afford not to work, and when we discussed it, my husband so lovingly pointed out to me that if anyone was going to be a stay-home parent it should be him because he actually liked to clean [point well made I might add].   Besides, with teaching, I got to have the summers off with my kiddos, so I looked at is as having the best of both worlds.

It was probably the summer when Claire, my youngest, was two when I realized that I absolutely, completely SUCK at the housewife gig.  I literally couldn’t wait to go back to work in the fall.   Now that they’re older, I confess, I really love my summers with them, but when they were little, I just could barely keep up. Because of this, I have immense respect for women who can manage a house and kids.

My kids are nearly grown — one is graduating from high school and off to college soon and the other will start driving within a week.  I know a lot of terrific young people who are the same ages as my kids, and I cannot say that kids whose parents stayed home with them are better off than kids whose parents worked.  My own kids are proof of that.  They are not perfect, but they are remarkable, well-balanced, intelligent kids, who amazingly survived having busy working parents.  

I think part of why my kids have grown up so nicely is because their parents are happy people.  I have happy with my choices.  My husband is happy with his.  We are happy together.  I think that culture of happiness has made it so that our kids are happy too, and that happiness has led to their success in other areas. 

What I want to say to all women who are thinking about having children is this:  make your home a happy home.  It doesn’t matter if you work or if you stay home.  Find a balance that let’s you be happy and you will raise terrific kids.