I think I almost fell off my bed yesterday morning while watching the news when I heard what a famous Democrat said about Ann Romney. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you really need to watch the news--it was everywhere yesterday.) Anyway, this lady said that Mrs. Romney has no business telling her husband how women feel about the economy since Mrs. Romney never worked a day in her life. Thus, inferring that women who stay at home with their children don't have a clue about the economy. Oh Puleeeeze!
As a stay-at-home mom, I am most definitely in touch with the economy. I may not go to the office everyday, but I don't live in a bubble. I buy groceries. I get gas. I know how expensive it would be to send my children to day care, preschools or private school. I write the checks to pay our medical bills. I go to the pharmacy and buy our medication. I decide whether I can afford to get my child an Easter outfit. I decide whether I can afford to sign him up for museum school. Trust me, being a stay-at-home mom definitely qualifies me to have an opinion on the economy. After all, my family income is significantly less than it would be if I didn't stay home. I live in the economy every day.
I don't understand why working women have such a problem with stay-at-home moms. And on the same note, I don't understand why many stay-at-home mommies seem to have a grudge against working moms. As a hybrid--working mom who stays home all day, I get to experience the best and worst of both lifestyle choices. Regardless of what a woman chooses, her decision isn't easy and she'll always wonder what life would be like on the other side of the fence. And for those of us in the middle, straddling the fence is tricky. You have no idea how hard it is for me to explain to other mommies why play dates don't fit well into my schedule while also explaining to my co-workers why it's really hard for me to drop everything for unscheduled meetings in the office. Being a mom is hard in general. Let's stop making harder on each other.
It is my experience that being a stay-at-home mom doesn't mean that you're a dummy. After all, I've met some very brilliant professionals who have given up careers to take on the challenge of running their homes. I've also met some uneducated, yet creative mommies who could have been amazingly successful "in the real world" but chose to express their creativity in the home. All of these women have something to contribute to society. We all have opinions and experiences that we can use to teach each other. So let's not decide a woman's worth based upon whether or not she gets a paycheck. After all, as Hilary Rosen proved herself yesterday, some women who get paychecks would be better off keeping their uneducated opinions to themselves!
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