Organ Shoes in My Diaper Bag

There are many articles out there that promote the sanctification of the stay at home mother, and if you dare consider to re-enter the workforce, you might as well not have had children.

Sound like I'm overacting?  Google it.  In the hospital, the lactation consultant said, "Do you get to stay home or do you HAVE to go back to work?"  Why did this become a bad thing?  Many articles claim that all in the workforce can easily be replaced, you aren't important in your job, and that no one else can teach your kids like you can.

Our decision was an easy one:  We needed the money.  We couldn't make ends meet on one income.

Here's the other thing, though.  I wanted to go back to work.  I'm not easily replaceable at my job.  I have a job where I teach a specialized skill and perform on an instrument that I have studied for 25 years.  I am important in my job.  Could any stay at home mom teach piano and voice or accompany a choir?  No.  I feel like it is my duty to go back to work, work with your children, and develop a skill that I am specialized to teach.  In the same manner, my dear son spends the day with a wonderful person whose specialized skill is caring for small children.  He is in a warm, caring environment all day and is learning social skills among many other things.

The important thing here is, we are doing what works for us.  There is no right or wrong way to do this parenting thing.   It's different than what my parents did, and what my grandparents did, but all of our circumstances are different.  Why do we need to judge each other for the way we parent?  Y'all love on each other, support each other, and raise some kids to do the same.