Hi Dr. Laura,

I have been a stay-at-home mom for 14 years. I have worked part time recently, but do not work between June and September when the kids are home.

Years ago, I worked at a day care center. Parents would stroll in with their sweats on like they just got back from the gym, and complain because the TV was on. Some of these parents were teachers, and I know they would get off work at 4:00 but they would still squeeze in a trip to the gym and pick up their little one at 6:00. One woman said to her son, "Where do you want to eat dinner tonight: McDonalds or Denny's?" No home-cooked meal there.

She could have picked up her little one and cooked dinner, then gone out for a walk after dinner with her son so they could both get their exercise.   It blew me away and solidified the decision for me to stay at home.

The other thing I saw at the day care center was the high turnover rate of employees. One 20 year old guy called in to tell us he was going to be late to work because he had a meeting with his probation officer. No kidding!

Please also tell moms who are at home they can join a mom's group in their area and make new friends (for them and their kids). My saving grace was a weekly (or twice a month) gathering made up of stay-at-home moms and older women. They met at a church and swapped recipes, listened to guest speakers, had spa day, favorite things day, etc. It was there the older moms said we younger moms had the most important job right now. They validated our decision to stay home. They also said this was a season of our lives and that one day, our kids would be up and grown just like theirs. This helped me know I was doing the right thing for now and that I could work fulltime when the kids were grown.

Thanks again for supporting us moms! We love you.

Happy to be home with my kids,

Irma