When I was younger, I scoffed whenever you touted the virtues of stay-at-home motherhood. Working mothers were the heroes of our society! They have it all. Or at least everyone says so. My mother worked and I turned out fine. Then I got pregnant.
With your voice in my head and the realization that I confided in my grandmother who raised me more than my own mother, I decided to stay home when our baby was born. My husband and I tested the waters to see if we could pay all the bills on just his salary, and we could!
Now, with two little ones, the finances are much better and I can afford to take them to swim classes twice a week. The classes are in the middle of the day, so parents rarely go. It’s usually the kids and their nannies. I’ve overheard a child plaintively asking her grandmother where her parents were, while grandma softly explained that they were working. I saw that child internalize the fact that work was more important than her. I’ve seen kids look up from a challenging swim to see their caregiver paying more attention to their phones than them. Their crushed faces are heartbreaking. And then I look at my kids, and my heart swells with pride, because I KNOW that they understand I’ll always be there for them. Not because I tell them I’ll be there, but because I simply AM there. There’s no better legacy to have than to be a trustworthy, present parent.
Raquel
I Am My Kids’ Swim Mom