Dr. Laura:
I am a 34-year-old mother of an 8-year-old daughter. I was raised by working parents, who instilled in me the value of hard work and the importance of a career. I became a pharmacist, but even in school, I felt conflicted about how I would juggle being a great pharmacist and a great mom too. Nevertheless, I persisted and graduated with honors.
I married and had my daughter. I cut down to three days of work per week, and it never crossed my mind that I should quit altogether. I justified my daughter being in daycare since it was only three days a week. Finally, I made the decision to quit work, as I wanted to be there fully for her. That's when I started listening to your program. I wished I would have found you years ago.
I know I get judged by people for having such an "easy" life, staying at home with one school-aged child, but I know this is where I was meant to be. Not only do I cherish our time together, but I've found that I have grown a lot by being at home with her. I have the time to teach her about helping others, and we've even started volunteering together in the community (something I would never have had time for in the past).
Women need to hear that they are not giving up themselves by staying home. In fact, they're contributing to something much bigger than themselves or any career they may have had. They are raising kind, thoughtful children, and creating a loving, nurturing home for their families. What could be more important than that?
Kirsten
