A Wonderful Choice

"When we women offer our experience as our truth, as human truth, all the maps change. There are new mountains." ~ Ursula K. Le Guin

 

I was intending to write about this particular topic tonight, as International Women's Day draws to a close, and my Facebook memories from last year conveniently provided the text.

 

There are a few things I'd like to add this year.  Covid-19 has shown many full-time working parents what it is like to be at home with their children.  Without a doubt, I believe some parents will yearn for this to continue.  I have a great deal of experience in the workplace as a "work-at-home" Mom,  and I do feel this needs to come with the flexibility to work less than a full time schedule, as I'm sure many parents have discovered how challenging it is to work full time with children at home - and I was not even engaged in home schooling at the time, though I was very active as a school and community volunteer.  I believe parents should have a choice, if daycare outside the home is subsidized, to receive the same subsidy, if choosing to be home with their children.  This would open the opportunity up to parents of all income levels - and to their children. 

 

Here is an excerpt from my post from last year:

   

Happy International Women's Day! Let's honor the choices people make in their lives. In my life, I am very grateful I had the opportunity to be a stay-at-home Mom. If you are in the position to be a stay-at-home parent (and I know not everyone is - Mom, Dad or Grandparent!), it's the most rewarding life I can imagine, and I will never regret that choice. It doesn't matter how many degrees you have or how successful, that choice is worthwhile. I could have used very rare at the time in-the-workplace daycare, and my career was extremely successful, but it wasn't enough. I kept my career going, in its own way. 

 

I later returned to the full time workforce [in the office] (after life circumstances shifted) and took my career as high as I ever could have wanted, yet also observing the toll that this takes and the balancing act many women face. Then circumstances arrived which brought me home again, and that too was what it needed to be. It is absolutely amazing, being a stay-at-home parent. And I was led to astonishing volunteer opportunities as well, and multiple non-profit leadership roles in the schools and in the community. 

 

These days, this choice seems to be considered a "lesser choice", like expecting all children to go into daycare at a very young age is "the best way", and no doubt later, after school care. No. It isn't. Not for many parents and not for many children. Daycare is important, yes, for those who need or seek it, but I made my choice for a reason, and it was absolutely right. (When the time came for preschool, yes, that was wonderful to make that a part of our lives, but only part-time, and part-time kindergarten as well - full time would have been far too intense at that age for many children, had it been required. Choices are important!) I'm grateful I was in the position to make the choice to be home with my child - I wish more people could be, and I did make sacrifices for it, but considering that choice "less" is simply not the truth.

 

 

 

Spring Flowers photo by Susan Larison Danz.