Because I had been a SAHM for 7 years, and a working mom for the past year, it seems that every mother I meet, whether they're SAHMs or working moms have asked me what it's like to have experienced the side of motherhood that they have not.
The common dilemma that any mother has is: "Did I make the right choice?" SAHMs wonder how well they could have balanced a career with having children. Mothers who work wonder what they sacrificed by not being with their kids--especially during the early years.
Every mother feels that they missed out on something really important in their lives. While they all come to the conclusion that you can't have it all, they grapple with the decisions they made. The reality is that you have to pick one path or the other. Each path has benefits and drawbacks.
Men do not have this quandary. It is only something that plagues us women.
I find that terribly unfair, don't you?
Whenever I think about whether I made the right choice or not (it was definitely right for me btw) I think about all the women who don't have a choice in the world. And I become thankful that I had a choice in the first place. Because so many women don't have a choice, they have to work. And depending on the country you live in, you may have no choice but to be a stay at home mom. We are indeed fortunate to have the freedom of choice, even if the choice is hard to make.
ReplyDeleteMy motto though, is all I can ever do at any time is what I think right. If it turns out to not be right, then I can change what I'm doing. No point in beating ourselves up over past choices made in good faith.
I agree. Men never, ever worry about this stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing is that you are happy with your choice. Your family will suffer if you're miserable in your career choices.
But it sounds to me like you've got a good balance going between everything.
It's just as women sometimes we forget to recognize how well we're doing!
Sending you a hug! Sounds like you might need one!