I've been trying to stay away from this topic because I'm not a very political person. I believe that everyone has their own beliefs and will live their lives the best way that they can - or, at least, that's what I hope.
But everytime I see a news story about the comments made by Hilary Rosen I get upset all over again.
I get upset, not because I'm offended by what she said. Quite the opposite. I understand what compelled her to make that comment.
I'm a mother raising two children. Which, according to the news stories, is one of the hardest jobs around. Yes, raising children is hard. But, do you know what's harder? Raising children and having a full-time career.
There. I said it. I believe working mothers work harder than stay at home moms (SAHM)*.
And now I'm glad I only have a handful of readers - if that - because I'm pretty sure I just lost them.
I'm not saying I don't think it's hard being a SAHM. It most certainly is. However, SAHM aren't out of the house for a minimum of 10 hours a day - I am. After this 10 hour hiatus from my house, I come home to do all the work that didn't get done during the day. This includes: cooking, laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc. Let's add to this squeezing in helping the kids complete their homework during the 2 hours that they are home before they have to go to bed. My weekends aren't filled with fun trips to the park or soccer games. No, because I'm away from the house for 50+ hours a week, the weekends are filled errands and grocery shopping.
We tried to do soccer for Lucas, but with the two weekday evening practices and the weekend games it was just too much stress. Stress for us as well as Lucas. Lucas was stressed because we would get home from work/daycare, wolf down dinner, run to practice, and then come home to do homework. For a kid who has to wake up at 5:30, that's a lot of stuff to do with no downtime, so something had to give and it was soccer.
Let's not forget that in all of this, I have to find time to schedule doctor appointments for routine visits. Once a month me and the kids all go to the chiropractor. Lucas and my husband have to go for allergy shots every 2 weeks. Today, Lucas has a follow-up for his ADHD, and both kids have an eye-doctor appointment. And, hoo boy, can you imagine if one of the kids gets sick? Not only do I have to take off from work (using sick-time I don't have), but now I'm behind on my commitments in the office. When I return to work I have to work that much harder to get back on track. There were so many instances of this between 2008 and 2010 that my performance suffered and I almost lost my job.
I've heard the platitudes that if I really wanted to, I would find a way to stay home. But the truth of the matter is, I am the breadwinner. Yes, my husband works. But I make twice as much as he does. We've tried having him stay home when we only had one child, but I didn't make enough to support us all and there was no where else to trim the fat, so to speak. So my husband got a job, as soon as he finished his degree, and he's been working ever since.
Now he works over an hour away from home, which makes things even harder for me. I have to wake up at 5am to get myself ready for work so I then have time to get my kids ready for school/daycare - we are in the car by 7am. Then it's up to me to pick them up and take them to whatever appointments we have that day. Time for exercise doesn't exist.
So, yes, I look at SAHM and think they have it easy - I even get jealous! It is definitely hard to stay home and raise your children. But it's even harder to have a career and raise your children. Prove me wrong.
* This discussion does not include the term work at home mom (WAHM) - those are a whole other breed. Nor does it include the SAHM that choose to homeschool - how you do that without tearing your hair out, I do not know.
