Shannon: Hi, Sheila, you're on CFUN. Sheila: Hi.
Shannon: Hi.
Sheila: I wasn't going to call, but I just have to, because all of these stay-at-home moms that are phoning in and so critical and are so superior-one phoned in earlier who sort of said, "Look, you know," who was great- Shannon: Shab. [laughter] Sheila: Yeah, you know what? I think that you can't-you can't make assumptions about other people's children based on what you've done in your life. Shannon: Yeah.
Sheila: And yes, I am a working mom, and yes I had to go back to work for a number of reasons, and then the stay-at-home people I know are sitting there as I speak, saying, "You don't have to go back to work. It's your choice, you make that decision, you could do things differently." You don't know my life, you don't live in my world, don't try to predict what I can do. But you know what? My kids are wonderful. People are constantly telling me, "Your kids are so amazing, they're so well-adjusted, they're just wonderful, wonderful children." And they're that way because we love them, nurture them, and do the best that we can, and when I'm home, I'm completely home. I don't go out Friday night. I have a friend who's a full-time stay-at-home mom, and every single day when her husband came home, she went out, because she couldn't stand to be with her kids another minute. I don't go out Friday night, I don't go out Saturday night. People phone and say, "Oh, come on, you've got to have time for yourself." No, because I don't get to see my kids during the day, during the week, so I spend every other minute that I can with them. You know, I just think it's outrageous that people are so judgmental and act so superior about something that they really cannot comprehend. Shannon: And I think you've put that very well, Sheila, and I'm so grateful to have your call because I couldn't have done nearly as good a job as you did saying that, but I know a lot of working moms experience exactly what you're experiencing, and it really isn't fair to be so judgmental. It's not like we're compromising on parenting. A lot of working moms are great parents, are great mothers, despite the fact that they're working; and in fact, many cases, better.
