This post from the Juggle touches on what many working parents must feel about how much time their kids spend at daycare. I’m reminded of my conversations with my sister, a new mom who recently went back to work. She and her husband take my niece to daycare, and my sister swears the baby wouldn’t smile at them during the first week. It could be that it’s just something my sister is imagining because she feels guilty, or it might be true. Either way, it’s not fun beating yourself up over it. We all make our choices — many of them tough — and we all have to live with the consequences.
I’ve mentioned before how fortunate I am that my mother-in-law takes care of my baby while I work. Even when I’m working from home, my daughter is picked up by her grandmother and spends most of the day with her. I am of course grateful, and feel secure in knowing my baby’s being cared for by someone who loves her. But I still feel pangs of guilt that I don’t get to spend nearly enough time as I’d like with her. And I don’t know if those will ever go away.
Knowing that most parents feel like they should be spending more time with their kids, it’s about time we stopped judging each other. Comments such as “why have kids if you’re not going to take care of them” or something similar aren’t only harsh, they’re untrue. For some parents, going out and earning a living is taking care of their kids. And others are just doing the best they can.
