Getting Up in the Middle of the Night
January 16, 2012
Getting Up in the Middle of the Night

Dear Dr. Laura,

I just read your daily newsletter in which there was an email about how to leave your child in order to return to work. It reminded me of something I saw just a couple of days ago.

After a long night of getting up with my daughter who was not feeling well, I sat down to nurse my son and flipped on the TV - something I almost never do. The Anderson Cooper show was on with a debate between stay-at-home and working mothers. I could only stand to watch a few minutes, but here's what I saw:

The supposedly "neutral" program began with a report on a study finding working mothers are "happier and healthier" than stay-at-home mothers. The source of the study was not given, nor was there any information about the funding for the study or any political or social agenda that might have informed it. The stay-at-home mothers were clearly on the defensive from the beginning. The working moms got the first say. The first two promptly characterized stay-at-home mothers as lazy. One working mom's argument was "a happy mommy makes a happy baby." The stay-at-home mothers were too polite to call the working mothers selfish.

I found myself so upset by the show I turned it off and spent the remaining minutes of rest just being grateful my for wonderful husband who makes it possible for me rear and homeschool my children.
 
You are one of the few voices out there standing up for stay-at-home mothers. Thank you and, please, keep up the fight.

Nancy



Posted by Staff at 3:31 PM