The debate that never ends

I came across a blog post last week that really put a sour taste in my mouth.  My first thought was to write a nasty comment on the blogger’s post, but then I stopped myself.  I knew I wouldn’t want anyone to do the same on blog, so I just left the blog.  Almost a week later and I am still bothered by the post, here’s just one quote from it:

 “I think it's a bit selfish to put a child in daycare if you don't have to, would you want to spend all day every day in daycare?”

My response to this quote? Yes, I could probably afford to stay at home with Cecilia.  However, on just my husband’s salary that would mean we’d have to move out of our 2500 square foot house on an acre lot and into a singlewide trailer in a trailer park.  It also means we’d only be able to afford one vehicle and we could forget about date nights and going on vacation ever again.  Instead I work and Cecilia goes to daycare from approximately 7:20 am until 4:40 pm every day.  Does this make a bad mom? I hope not!

She still has two parents who love her more than anything in the world.  She eats better at daycare then at home sometimes (this morning for breakfast she had homemade waffles with turkey bacon).  I trust her daycare provider just as much as I trust my mom. At two, Cecilia knows her ABC’s, she can count to 30, she can tell you her colors and shapes and she has a huge vocabulary.   Do I sometimes wish I didn’t have to work and that I could spend all day with her? All the time!  I also think it’s healthy that I am not with her 24/7, because when we do get our time together I appreciate it more. 

I have a ton of friends who are stay at home moms and I have several friends who are working moms.  I don’t think one is better than the other, but I think it’s time that we respect each other.  I have so much respect for stay at home moms.  They don’t get the break I get every week day. They probably work harder staying at home and taking care of their little ones then I do in an 8 hour work day.  I sit at a desk all day and punch numbers {I do more than that, but you get the point.}  Working moms have it hard to, we have to say good bye to our little ones every morning.  There’s the occasional tears, because they don’t want mommy to go to work, but then there’s other days they run off without even giving you a hug or kiss goodbye.  We put our children in someone else’s hands every day.   We aren’t there to kiss every scrape and bruise, we might miss their first step or first word, but regardless that doesn’t make us a bad parent.

What are your views on working moms verses stay at home moms?