First Lady Michelle Obama Will Be a Stay At Home Mom First - Good or Bad?
She said it back in January, and she's reminding us that it's no different now that her husband has been elected.
Michelle Obama is a mom first, and will focus on getting her two daughters Malia (10) and Sasha (7) settled in their new lives in Washington DC and in the White House.
On NBC's Meet the Press yesterday, Valerie Jarrett, longtime Obama family friend and co-chair of the transition team, was asked by Tom Brokaw what kind of First Lady Michelle would be - a Laura Bush or a Hillary Clinton? Jarrett's answer:
I think her model will be Michelle Obama. She's going to be her own first lady....The interests that she's had so far have been focusing on a work-life balance. She was a working mom. She knows how hard it is to manage being a mom, a spouse, have a professional job...Having a seat at the table and being a co-president is not something that she's interested in doing.Michelle has enjoyed a successful career as an attorney and administrator; her previous position - as vice president for community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals - was one she stepped away from only after her husband's presidential campaign began heating up.
In many ways, her decision to focus on her children reignites the working mom/stay-at-home mom debate. Some will say that she's exemplary in modeling what many parents should do - put their children first. Some will say that the ability to stay home is a privilege, and she's abandoning the many women who can't make this choice and looked up to her as someone who's shared their struggles as a working mom.
What's your opinion on this?
Photo of Malia, Michelle and Sasha Obama
© Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Comments
I really don’t see why there should be controversy about Michelle staying home to raise her daughters. I’m sure she’s going to have her hands full with speaking engagements and charities too.
I was raised by a pair of working parents and I always envied the girls who came home to a mom and fresh baked cookies.
I was a single working mom and I wish(ed) I could have stayed home to raise my son.
When given a choice, I tend to lean toward staying home with the kids….but not all of us have that freedom to choose, and we have to do the best we can to raise our kids right and do a good job at work too.
It isn’t easy!
Good for her! Both Barack and Michelle seem to be two of the most caring parents, not just in the political realm but in the parenting realm…The little girls need more protection now, more normalcy, which will be a challenge and Michelle is really the rock of the family. Obama will be busy, busy, busy obviously and not able to parent as much as he used to when he becomes the President. They are putting the welfare of the children first. Another major reason why I voted for “them”.
Who could possibly judge a woman who prioritizes making sure her kids feel secure and as normal as possible in an incredibly abnormal situation? It’s called parenting. She’s no one note Sally. She will be deeply involved in “work” she believes in, balanced with the needs of her family. I think that’s great.
From all I’ve read about Michelle Obama she is going to to a great job as both Mother, wife and first lady. Girls of this country need more “WHOLESOME” examples of what it means to be a WOMAN IN THE 21ST century. No matter if she be a lady of color, Asian, Indian,or amixed bag.Girls need somone to look up to who has the qualities that Michelle Obama has. She will bring a good example to the White House. She joins other great Woman from our past as well as those in our present, including Laura Bush and Sarah Palin and many others. May God Bless Michelle and give her what she needs to be a leader of Woman…..