The Mommy Wars Redux

This whole hooplah about Sarah Palin - the how can she cope as a mother of five with such a demanding job debate - that so many of us mothers had somehow hoped was long behind us - well it couldn't have come at a more poignant time.

Back to school is always a time fraught with anxiety on all fronts. No matter how we as Moms try and position it as an exciting time of discovery and adventure, for our very wee ones, it is a scary, bewildering time of change. Just as they had got used to all that loving time at home and on vacation, suddenly they are back to school, dealing with seeing us working Moms only at the end of the day.

My boy is into week two at a great new school. It's bigger than his previous school, with older children, and French immersion to boot, so it's taking some time to get used to. Every day I say goodbye and there are tears, then come lunchtime I dash back over town to pick him up and take him home, before saying farewell (more tears) and heading back into work.

I really don't know if I'm doing the right thing. Perhaps two partings a day is more than he can handle and in my efforts to be more present, I'm only making things more confusing and worse.

All I know is I'm trying and I'm trying to be there. Balance is something we have to work at each and every day and it IS hard work!

So when I hear folks criticizing Sarah Palin, and there's a lot to criticize don't get me wrong, I feel her parenting choices shouldn't be among them. We all know too well that if she was a man, this wouldn't even be a discussion.

So enough with the guilt. We live our lives, we do our best. Some of us have careers, for some of us caring for our families is career enough. Whatever choices we make, they are ours alone.

So come on sisters, we women beat up ourselves enough, there's no need for us to heap it on each other.

- Sal Kydd, Intent.com

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