Moms shouldn't be made to apologize
- Name: Julie Hays
- Place: Shreveport, La.
I am 35 with two daughters ages seven and five. I've stayed at home with them since their births. This was a decision my husband and I made for several reasons.
First of all, I wanted to be the one to care for my children and not outsource that to daycare. I feel that for some reason mothers that make this choice are made to apologize. That is unfortunate. Also my earning potential was not high enough to merit childcare cost when looking at it from a cost/benefit perspective.
Now my youngest daughter is about to start kindergarten, and I am concerned about how I would be viewed or judged by prospective employers due to my choice. There seems to be a stigma attached to this choice. I have endured plenty of condescending remarks and ignorant assumptions that I do nothing all day.
It is laughable really because any mom that works at home raising her children would tell you, you rarely sit down and multitasking is second nature. But the ignorance and stereotypes continue. In the end it is a personal choice, but I do think more moms would be interested in working if the workplace were more supportive of the family agenda. Often that is not the case and women choose their babies. That is not a bad choice, it is a preference.
