High Powered Moms: From Workplace to Home

As a mom with advanced degrees (M.B.A. and M.F.A.), I like to joke with my own mom that I spent a hell of a lot of money on my brain just to be a stay at home mom. It’s always good for a laugh from her as she not only helped educate me along the way but she, herself, is a professional (read: highly educated) artist who stayed at home with us when we were little. Turns out, I’m not alone among my peers either.

Moms everywhere are choosing to step out of the work world and back in to the role of stay at home mom. And, believe you me, the job at home is MUCH MUCH MUCH harder!

An old New York Times article highlighted just this phenomenon back on 2003 and, from my experience, the trend still exists. Recently I had a conversation with a good friend who decided to get off the partner track at her law firm and reduce the time she was spending at work so that she could spend more time with her son.

I was so excited not only because I would have a friend to lean on when the going gets tough, but also because I think the decision lifted a burden for her.

Staying at home with the kids is not all fun and games…like I said, it’s a hard job. The hardest job I’ve EVER had, in fact, and it never ends. Not for a mid-morning break or lunch time. Not in the evening. Not even at night while everyone is sleeping as the wee ones invariably wake up in the middle of the night needing a hug or a bathroom break or some milk.

For me, the best thing about the feminist movement is that I can actually choose to stay home rather than having it imposed on me by society’s expectations. It’s not an easy choice to make but it is a choice, regardless of past education or experience.

photo credit: Stephen Edmonds