Working moms - do you feel guilty because you work???

[nuke]

Originally posted by powellrj
feel guilty about being a working mom....nah.... I have way too many other things I need to feel guilty about today, lets see, my 3 c-sections, will my kids become obese, blowing bubbles at Disney and these are just the things from yesterday.

 

[AZKathy]

A lot of times, I do feel guilty that I work and can't be a SAHM. I don't think that working makes me a bad mother because I work; I have to work to support our family.

 

[Cindy B]

Not to beat up on Pin Wizard, but I have to say I understand where she is coming from.

My parents as well did not believe in girls in college None of the older family members in my family went to college, so they don't understand the concept of it.

I have heard the "wasting" comment all the time from them as well. My sister who has a college degree (not a great school or a good major), tells our family all the time that she can't stay home with her kids because she needs to "earn" her bachelors. Her thought is that she spent time and energy to get the degree, it would do her "no good to sit home and do nothing with it" (her words not mine) In my sisters mind, staying home would "waste" her education. (yes, she has said that )

I've had it both ways, I was a SAHM, now I work, and go to college. Do I feel guilty sometimes that I work? Sometimes, yes. Truthfully, I feel more guilty about my classes and schoolwork. Its hard to tell my daughter that Mommy needs to go to school tonight.. instead of play! Its a hard balancing act, working, being a mom and a student.... hard to do it all!

 

[ByTheSea]

I don't feel the least bit guilty. I am incredibly fortunate in that the work I do brings in enough money so that my DH can be a "stay-at-home parent" (and I admit sometimes I'm a bit envious and wish our situations were reversed but I do love my job)

but one thing I've found interesting...

I have run into a few people, not many but a few, who have tried to make me feel guilty. I travel for my job, and the only reason I can be gone so frequently is that my spouse's job is to take care of things at home, we have more time together on the weekends that when we both worked outside of the home and had to get all the chores and errands done on our weekends. Although most people have no issues with our arrangement, I have been "asked" by a few "How can a Mother leave/abandon her school aged child so frequently?" (I do travel about 75% of the time) and other subtle and not so subtle attempts to make me feel guilty.....

but in the years since we've had this arrangement, only 1 person ever said anything less than positive to my DH. Most people give him more of a "way to go- thumbs up" attitude for being the SAHD. The only person I can think of that was negative was a relative who has very conservative religious based beliefs that a woman should be subservient to her spouse and that DH is failing to be a proper role model for "allowing" me to be the breadwinner in our family.... but then, I don't think this particular relative thinks women should even have the right to vote so we don't pay much attention to his opinions.