response to criticism of stay-at-home moms

[Scott]

My wife wrote a letter to the editor that was published yesterday in our local paper. It responded to some articles critical of stay-at-home moms and the trend away from feminism. My mother, myself, her job, my angst is one example.

Anyway, my wife (an non-practicing attorney) wrote the following letter that was printed yesterday. In my unbiased opinion it is excellent!

God-given instinct

Kimberley Palmer's angst about losing the feminism of her mother's generation, as described in her May 14 commentary ("My mother, myself, her job, my angst") was telling.

She idealized that feminism rather than facing true femininity: A woman must make sacrifices to be a mother, and those sacrifices are worth it. That's not idealism -- the future of humanity is bleak without those sacrifices.

Children need full-time mothers. They need the time, care, nurturing and love that mothers were designed to provide.

I'm among the highly educated women in their 30s who have chosen to leave full-time careers for full-time motherhood.

The joys and benefits I receive from my day-to-day, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute interaction with my three children is priceless. No paycheck could ever equal it.

I know my children very well, and that's my privilege and responsibility. I get to see all of their curiosity and joy about discovering life. I get to train them to make appropriate choices, to treat others well and to learn about disappointments.

I wasn't forced out of the workplace by the exhaustion and frustration of dealing with a "man's world," as writer Rosa Brooks would lead the reader to believe in her accompanying essay, "Behind the mommy wars."

I followed my God-given instinct: No one in this world would love and care for my children as I would.

Because these children are precious to me and because they grow up far too quickly, I chose to forsake the acclaim and approval of people like Palmer and Brooks. I do what I do for my children's sake.

Kim Roberts, Southlake

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

 

[CDM]

Right on!

 

[DTK]

Originally posted by Scott
My wife wrote a letter to the editor that was published yesterday in our local paper. It responded to some articles critical of stay-at-home moms and the trend away from feminism.

It's a great example of being salt and light, my own unbiased opinion, of course!

DTK

 

[Semper Fidelis]

OUTSTANDING!!!

 

[HuguenotHelpMeet]

The joys and benefits I receive from my day-to-day, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute interaction with my three children is priceless. No paycheck could ever equal it.

I know my children very well, and that's my privilege and responsibility. I get to see all of their curiosity and joy about discovering life. I get to train them to make appropriate choices, to treat others well and to learn about disappointments.

I love what your wife wrote. Especially the quote above. I can relate well to those feelings. I think, if I'm being honest, that my greatest motivation in my desire to be a stay-at-home homeschooling mother, is just that I can't stand the thought of missing out on knowing my children as well as I do. I can't even imagine going a day and not knowing what my child had for lunch. It really is a privilege that I'm thankful for everyday.