Guilt

To all the working moms out there - why do you do what you do? I read an article the other day about a book coming out that advises women on how to help their husbands with their careers. Now, my initial reaction to this was one of outrage! I mean, how dare they imply that we would rather help our husbands with their careers than have our own?!?! And then I thought, well to each her own, I suppose. But really what comes over me is that everyone wants to spend more time with their family - including Dads. However, just in my very unofficial polling, I have found that really more moms feel the guilt and would like to stay home more of the time than dads do. I'm not saying this is across the board, but generally speaking. Also, if the person would like to stay home more with their family, women are more likely to want to not have a job at all as opposed to men that actually do want to stay working, just less hours. Mind you, this is my very unofficial scientific research. I feel guilty admitting that really I wish that my husband was more motivated career wise so that I could stay home and raise the kids until they were older. I feel guilty wanting to say that to him. I feel guilty wanting to say that to the world. Why should I have to feel guilty? I already feel guilty when I leave my baby in the morning sobbing because he wants me, I already feel guilty when I have to tell them that I just don't have time to play with them right that second because I have to work.

Guilt is the strongest emotion in the world, I think. I don't think it is the most passionate feeling, but I think in the long-term it can make you do things that no other emotion can. Why as people can we not say that we want to stay home with our children? What is wrong with that? Why are people so angry about it? Do they think that when you stay home, you just lay around all day? Anyway, that's my rant for today. I just feel guilty today.