The Stay at Home Mother

A recent book came out called "In Praise of Stay at Home Moms" by Dr. Laura Schlessinger. In her latest book, she argues that staying home to raise children is a challenging yet rewarding experience - and more importantly, the right choice for the whole family, even communities.

She writes about women who know in their hearts that staying home to raise their children is the right choice for the whole family. Some do it from the outset of their marriages, while others make the difficult transition from career-driven women to homemakers....

Dr. Laura, has had a long career as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has provided a wealth of advice and support, as well as compassion and inspiration, to women as they navigated through the wonders and struggles of being stay-at-home moms.

In the book, Dr. Laura shows women how to:

• hold your head high and deal with naysayers
• to see the benefits of being home not only for your children but also for your marriage
• to understand the changes you see in yourself
• to realize that the sacrifices you endure now will make for lasting bonds and a stronger family

In her recent interview on the Today show Click Here she talks about why she feels that being a stay at home mom is so important.

Below is an expert from her book of an email Dr.Laura received from a listener of her talk show:

"As I sit to write this letter, my hope is that if just one mother can hear what I have to say and holds her child just a little tighter today, I will have fulfilled my reason for writing.

“By the time I was 29 our family was complete. I had three beautiful children, a loving husband, and although never money to spare, we found ways to get by. I had stopped working full-time and started part-time shortly after my first child was born because I loved being with her. Although I had my mother and mother-in-law to baby-sit whenever I needed, by the time my middle son was born, I knew I could not work anymore. Something inside of me told me that I had to spend as much time with my children as I could. My husband worked extra hours, I made do with what we had, and we made things work for us. My husband would work at night or at home, but if there was a baseball game — he was there. I cut everyone’s hair, including my own, did my own nails, and never bought anything that was not on sale. We were happy.

“There were many days where I was pulling out my hair, found myself screaming at them, and was totally exhausted by the end of the day, thinking to myself ‘any other work would have been a pleasant relief.’ But there were also many moments I would never trade in for any job, no matter what the pay. Those moments when you child gives you a smile or a look you never forget, moments when they would give you a kiss, a hug, or just hold your hand for no reason. Those are the moments a mother treasures in her heart forever and can never be replaced, not even by a grandmother.

“I was selfish, I wanted my children to know me and I wanted to be that special person in their lives. Although I didn’t know it then, and on certain days may have told you otherwise, my life was perfect.

“Maybe life isn’t meant to be lived perfectly. Perhaps I took too many things for granted. But our life is no longer that perfect storybook tale. Two years ago my middle son was killed in an auto accident. He was 22 years-old. He was away at college when he decided to get in a car where the driver had been drinking, ten minutes later he was dead.

“Our lives will never be the same again; the world as we knew it has been destroyed. We miss our son terribly. My husband, surviving two children, and I will never be the same, but we are trying to old on to each other and pick up the pieces, one piece at a time.

“Dr. Laura, there is only one thing I can say. I am so grateful for those moments I had with my son.

Those moments, the good as well as the crazy ones, I will forever hold close to my heart. All those precious years I spent with my son now are what helps me get through the day.

“So please, Dr. Laura, never stop preaching to all the young moms who feel they can’t handle it, are struggling with making it through the day, for believe they ‘need’ to work instead of being with their child, just how much it might someday mean to them to have spent those precious ‘moments’ with their children. Hopefully other moms can just take my word for it: don’t let anyone or anything prevent you from holding them, hugging them, playing with them, memorizing their smile, their laughter, their heart.

“Our children are such special gifts that should never be taken for granted and life is so unpredictable, we never know if today we will breathe our last breath.” — Lisa

As obviously touching and compelling as Lisa’s letter is, I’m sure the überfeminists would recommend that the touching alternative would be to stockpile reports and videos taken by day-care workers, nannies, and baby-sitters, so that if the worst does happen, and a child is lost, you still have those memories … just through the eyes of other people.

Close enough?

This book is dedicated to the praise of at-home moms; from one mommy to so many others.

I can't wait to read the book!