"Opting Out"? Or Running Out Of Options?
(CBS)
I remember tearing through the New York Times Magazine cover story back in 2003 about a group of highly educated women who turned their backs on corporate America to become full-time mothers. My thoughts went something like this: why would they make such a decision? Aren’t they giving up so much, in terms of education and career, to be home with their kids?
Let’s just say I see the world a whole lot differently now as a mother of a 13-month-old. I respect more than ever before every mother’s choice and understand there are no blacks and whites here, no rights and wrongs, but lots of difficult decisions and plenty of grey areas.
Which brings me back to that New York Times story which coined the term “opting out” for these career women who were choosing to be home with their families. Since that story, “opting out” has been seen as the latest trend in mothering – a kind of social revolution. But is it really happening and if it is, why are these women giving it up to be with their kids? Are they opting out or did they run out of options?...
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