In Praise of Stay at Home Moms

Perhaps it's her straight-forward, no nonsense approach, (or perhaps it's because we share the same name :), but I love Dr. Laura.

When I saw this book at the library, I couldn't pass it up. A book in praise of me? Okay!

Now, let me first say that it is NOT a sacrifice for me to stay home with our son. With my husband's blessing, I happily stay at home, raising our son, cooking and baking up a storm, and making our house a home. Yes, this has meant that we live without many "extras" but, we both feel it is well worth it.

In a world that is centered around having as much money as possible, this book was a great affirmation that what I do each and every day is invaluable, despite of the fact that I don't get paid, monetarily.

For women who perhaps gave up careers that they loved in order to stay home full time with their children, this book is a great pat on the back because Dr. Laura offers practical reminders of how very worthwhile that sacrifice is.

On days that are particularly long (if you're a stay at home mom you know what I mean ;) just reading a paragraph or two of this book will give you the encouragement you need to get back to your little ones with a more joy-filled attitude.

I find myself often forgoing time-sucking activities that I can live without in order to sit down on the floor and just play with my son. As much as I want to vacuum that dog hair off the carpet, the ten minutes I instead spent building a block tower or looking at books with him was much more rewarding for both of us.

Oh, and this book is also a great read for the husbands of stay at home moms because Dr. Laura establishes and encourages the traditional gender roles in a family that are so often criticized in today's society. (Although my husband didn't sit down and read the book himself, I probably read every other paragraph out loud to him so I think he got the gist of it. ;)

So, if you're a stay at home mom who could use a refreshing reminder of why you do what you do, I encourage you to check out this book.