by Kirsten Campbell

Created on: February 22, 2009   Last Updated: February 24, 2009

Definitely! Take it from a working mother-now a working grandma. Todays' economy calls for most women to work outside the home. Women today are a bit luckier because there's no stigma attached to men doing chores. Thirty years ago, men either down right refused to do women's work, or they'd help-but very little, so the woman ended up doing her day job then another job when she got home.

My children are grown, very positively productive people that are doing good in the world.Each of them have finished school, gotten good jobs and are now having their own children. We sit around on the weekends, reminisce about their childhood and the one thing that comes up quite a bit is the fun that they had and the fact that even though mom was at work during the day, the house stayed clean, they had a good dinner cooked for them every night, homework was checked and books were read at night to sleepy eyed little ones, clothes were washed on the weekends and there were plenty of birthday parties, Christmas parties, vacations, PTA Meetings, soccer practice, track, powder puff football, dance class, and several other activities were some how handled. It was all a part of time management, utilizing my vacation and sick days wisely and giving as much quality time to each child as possible.

I didn't realize it while I was doing it, but it was a huge thing to undertake. I was abandoned by both my parents, so I had no one to set an example for me. So, I tried to set a good example for my children. I believe in the old addage, nothing good ever comes without putting some work in. So, I worked eight hour days, planned my time at home wisely, utilizing morning and evening hours and completed the tasks set out before me. My children are all grown now, but they come over, sit down and my oldest daughter confides in me that she doesn't know how I did it with more than one child. She works and has a little one. When I get home I'm wiped out, she says. I sit down with my daughter, explain that she will have to get up a little earlier, or perhaps stay up a little later to get through with the things that are necessary to make a smooth transition in the morning. Don't think that mom was a miracle worker. Mom just got things down that were important at the time. Things that could wait, I made wait for the weekend.

I was wiped out too, but I had to keep on a strick budget, which meant cooking at night. I had to make sure my daughters hair was combed, braided, their little teeth were brushed, their baths were taken, clothes laid out at night including socks and shoes or there would be lunacy in the morning. To get the kids out on time for the bus, I had to wake up two hours earlier, make sure they had breakfast, lunch money, books in their bookbags, and of course I had to make sure I was ready to face the world as well. No Mickey-D's, no fancy extra expensive clothes or shoes, but everyone was fed and each had play clothes, school clothes and Sunday clothes. Each child is now grown with good memories and positive things to pass down to their own children. So, yes I believe a woman can work outside the home and still be a great mother.

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