I’m a stay at home mom – everytime I even had the fleeting thought of going back to work I’d feel such guilt that I’d push away the thoughts of wanting social, financial, and just plain old independence and focus on my lil’ girl. She needs me at home. She needs me around. I know most working moms have that guilt feeling – the thought that they’re taking something away from their kids by being at work. Why do we feel this guilt? Why don’t out spouses feel it too?
“A lot comes from an overly idealized notion of perfection and motherhood, which most moms have internalized. Moms have been told by society that they should never feel ambivalent about or overwhelmed by parenthood and the restrictions it places on their lifestyle. These mythic ideas about being the perfect mother create a “self-attack” mode, wreaking havoc on moms’ feelings about themselves and their parenting skills.”
This article from TodayMoms talks about the subject, and there’s also an interesting video attached.