I’ve always been particularly sensitive to the “Mom” debate. We’re all aware of it—it’s that silent tug-of-war between “working” moms and “stay-at-home” moms. Let me just clear up a few misunderstandings in the “Mom” debate:
1.Whether you work outside the home or in the home, you are a mother. You wipe boogery noses, clean up poop in the tub, are responsible for whether or not your children do or don’t live on burgers and fries, worry that your children aren’t safe, wonder if you’re a “good” mom, and go to bed at night praying for the safety and health of your family.
2.Whether you work outside the home or inside the home, you do not get sick days. That’s right—mom’s don’t get sick days. Moms who work outside the home have to save their sick time for their children. After all, if they spend three out of their five days of sick time per year at home with the flu, what will they do when their son or daughter throws up from school and can’t come back for three days?
Likewise, stay-at-home or work-at-home moms don’t get sick days either. When a mother at home has a fever of 103, she still has children at home all day. She still has to feed them, keep them safe, and take care of them—regardless of how bad she feels.
No moms get sick days.
3.Being a mom is hard work—whether you’re in the home or not, being a mother is tough. Juggling kids and everything else you need and have to do during your day is difficult. It’s no more difficult for one mom than it is for another.
Just in case you’ve found yourself envying a mom who goes to work each day or a mom who stays home with her children lately, it’s important to realize that we are all trying to attain the same goal—to raise happy, healthy children who are provided for and loved. There is enough criticism of moms among groups, in corporate environments, and around the globe—maybe it’s high time moms unite and start showing some empathy for one another.
If you’re a mom—I salute you.