I'm starting to see a lot of posts on social media "subtly" shaming women for working outside the home.

[hamsterjill]

48. It should most definitely be a choice.

Last edited Sun Aug 31, 2025, 07:08 PM - Edit history (1)

I went back to work three weeks after giving birth to my daughter. I had absolutely NO desire to be a stay at home mom. To me, it was utterly boring and wasn't my cup of tea. I had a job that I enjoyed and didn't want to give it up.

She was in a great daycare that started teaching them things from a very early age. She started walking and talking long before her cousin who was the same age. As an only child, I felt she benefitted from being around other children her own age, and I felt like she would do better when it was time for kindergarten, etc., and she had no issue transitioning. She was used to being away from mom, wasn't clingy, she knew how to share, etc. I felt like I had a healthy balance. She got to take dance lessons, gymnastic lessons, language lessons, etc. because we could afford a little extra with my income.

I was the "room mother" for two of her school years. I was a very involved parent - I am just good at being organized and getting things done. She excelled all the way through school and college. My daughter is now doing well in her own career and doing well financially. Looking back, I would not change a thing.

So, it really is, and has to be, and NEEDS to be each individual's choice. There are no perfect paths. We make the paths work based on the choices we make and what's best for each of our situations. I never looked down on stay-at-home moms. But I was independent enough not to feel guilty because I chose a different path. I knew what I was doing was the right thing for me and my daughter.

The concern that *I* have is going to be the loss of having a choice at all. And the moms like me, who want to continue their careers, will be judged harshly. We don't need to go backwards. We can't allow that.