Education & Motherhood.

One of the most insulting things about being a housewife, is being told that I waisted my money or time getting a college degree. First I want to say, education is never a waste of time... ever. There a hundreds of non-profit organization around the world that advocate for women's education. Women in Africa, the middle-east, and India are among the benefactors of such organizations. Do these women seek education to become career women and move away from their village? No. Most of them will stay where they were born and raised while some will go on to be a teacher in the community. Seeking a higher education is never a waste of time. A quote from John Dewey puts it perfectly when he said:

"Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself."

In fact any statement that makes an accusation against women that choose to stay at home after earning a degree, is incredibly ignorant. In addition to that I will point out that only 27% of Americans earn a Bachelor's degree and out of that 27% percent few go on to actually work in a field in which they utilize their degree. I find this interesting, because if a person has a degree in history yet ends up working at an IT company nobody in their right mind would tell that person "Wow, you really wasted your time getting your degree" because that would sound absurd. 

Women who chose to stay at home and raise children are in fact choosing to walk a path that is very thankless. Keeping a home well is not easy, in of itself it is a full time job. Raising children is not easy and it is a task we have taken too lightly in our society, meanwhile any sign of a child with behavioral, emotional, or other problems is put on the shoulders of schools, drug companies and media. It's heart breaking. Raising small children isn't just about sleepless nights, putting someone else's needs before your own, while being thrashed up against the world's impossible standards of "doing it all" - it's a long term investment in the heart and soul of a human being. It is about teaching love and grace while also creating an environment that is safe, secure, and allows that child to grow into a person who is confident, eager and kind. This is not an easy task. This is not something to turn our noses up to, to scoff at, or to abandon.