Home Alone America

I got an email from a friend and former co-worker today. She is quitting her full time job to stay home with her baby boy and 9 year old daughter. Since her son was born, she has been juggling job, marriage, parenting, homeownership and trying to have a life, too. Over the last month, she has decided that the daily requirements are just too much. As she put it in her email, "Quite simply, I hate it - and this is no way to live."

I emailed back to tell her how happy I am for her, and her kids, and her husband, and (reluctantly) for her cats, as well.

One of the least romantic Christmas gifts I have ever given Shelley was a book given this year entitled "Home Alone America - The Hidden Toll of Day Care, Behavioral Drugs and Other Parent Substitutes". It was intended to celebrate and reinforce her sacrifice in staying home with the boys.

This last year has been very difficult financially for us, with no relief in sight. But we have decided to continue struggling, as nothing could be more important than her being home with the boys, full time. "Being there" is, more or less, what this book says matters most as a parent. We don't have to be masters of child psychology or early development experts. We don't have to be patient 100% of the time, brilliant 100% of the time, or giving our children 100% of our attention. As Woody Allen said, "Eighty percent of success is showing up." Shelley is here every day for the boys, and I am home every night around 6:00. Everything else is gravy...

Anyway, I am very happy for our friend, who has no clue how her family is going to make ends meet without her income, but will have a happy, messy, busy, wonderful time figuring it out!