There’s No Place Like Home

Balancing work and homelife can be a difficult challenge for many women, which is why moms need our support. Janet Parshall shares more in her commentary this week.

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Episode Transcript

S1 (00:02):
The American writer Edgar Allan Poe was most known for
his Gothic poems like The Raven and Annabel Lee, but
he also had something to say about motherhood in his
poem entitled To My Mother, Poe wrote I feel that
in the heavens above, the angels whispering to one another
can find among their burning terms of love none so
devotional as that of mother.

S2 (00:21):
Here to unpack present day issues from a biblical perspective
is Janet Parshall.

S1 (00:27):
Let's face it, moms are important. But moms today often
find themselves facing the untenable choice of either going to
work or staying at home with the children. A Gallup
poll looked at 323,000 American adults, and found that most
moms with kids under age 18 wish they could take
care of their home and family instead of having to
head off to the office every day. But what was
also surprising was that among those moms who weren't currently employed,

(00:49):
the majority said they would rather stay home, while just 37%
said they would prefer to work. Add to this research
a Pew study where we find a growing number of
women who are becoming stay at home moms. While 71%
of moms do work outside the home, 29% are staying home.
That number is up 6% from 1999. Pew also found

(01:09):
that despite the fact that most moms in the U.S.
work at least part time, 60% of Americans say children
are better off when a parent stays home to focus
on the family, while only 35% say they are just
as well off when both parents work outside the home.
There solid evidence that having mom around for those early
formative years is beneficial, if not crucial. But there's also
a new study drawing on extensive data from Norway that

(01:31):
found potentially dramatic benefits for older children when their parents
had more opportunity to stay at home. Yet this topic
is a volatile one, where both camps often accuse the
other of making the wrong decision. There isn't a one
size fits all solution. My husband and I, for example,
did a lot of praying and number crunching to determine
what was best for our family, and we did so
despite the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism from those

(01:54):
who thought we would make the wrong decision. No one
can tell you what is right for your family. That's
a decision determined through prayer and the wise counsel from
those you trust. But there is a sea change happening.
Millennial moms who prefer to stay at home are also
a tech savvy generation. They see the benefits of the
flexibility that working from home can offer. Being part time
or freelancer can open up some new possibilities without having

(02:16):
to make a Solomonic decision about childcare. But let's not
forget the single moms in this, the ones who have
no choice for them. There is no choice between staying
home and working. And here's where other moms and the
church can play a key role in offering part time employment, childcare,
or a hot meal after a long day on the job.
Mother is a powerful word, but let's not value the

(02:38):
word over the woman. If we think moms are the
best Department of Health, education and welfare, let's act like
we do and support moms all we can. That's my opinion.
I'm Janet Parshall.

S2 (02:49):
For more information or to connect with us, go to.
In the market with Janet Parshall.