The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom

So today I have a day off from teaching, and what a fun day it is. I got to have a root canal this morning! Actually it went really well, just a little pain and fatiuge afterwards. When I woke up from resting a while ago, I thought I would watch a little TLC while eating lunch and was really discouraged by an advertisement I saw for a new program. It's going to be called: The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom and basically it's goal is to show women everywhere all that they have missed out on by staying home to care for their families instead of pursuing a flourishing career! Just the advertisements made me sick! Each week, several women will be given the opportunity to leave their home and families to go pursue what they would have done had their lives not been "interrupted" by having a family. They will go apprentice for a hugely famous chef, work in the fashion industry or other such glamorous positions. This is the kind of program that I can imagine many a housewife sitting down to watch while her children are napping, only finding herself to sit in regret about those very children and how they "stole" her opportunity to make it big and pursue her life dreams! This show looks to me like it will show everything that is wrong with our modern society's disregard for the noble and biblical pursuit of motherhood. It looks dangerous! I do not have a husband or children myself, however as a teacher, I sometimes witness the fruits of these "career women" and the neglect that I see in their children's character and well-being as they chase after selfish pursuits of business and even charitable work. While I fully understand that some women must work outside the home (my own mother had no choice but to have a full-time job throughout my childhood), I also see many women who are filling up their lives with all kinds of things, whether it be a job or ministry opportunities that take them away from their families, which then leave their children without the proper support and training necessary in this godless society. Don't get me wrong, I see many promising visions of motherhood when I look at the biblically grounded women in my church. This is not a blanket condemnation of every woman I observe. However, I often see children who are passed over by their moms (who believe they are pursuing a good thing) and who then slowly begin to show the lack of disciplined time spent amongst family. It breaks my heart to see this, particularly among women who have the ability to stay at home. And let's face it: more women have the ability to stay home than do. Our ability is determined by our willingness to sacrifice. When did our personal dreams and desires outweigh the scriptural mandate as mothers to raise worshippers of God? That is the primary purpose in having children, is it not? When my mother had to spend her days working while I was growing up, we were in the care of our grandparents, who were faithful believers. They spent hours investing in us through teaching, talking, working on projects, taking us to see God's creation. Today, most children whose mothers work are left with babysitters, nannies, or childcare workers. There is a vast decline in the biblical training of children, which is quite obvious when you observe our current world, even the Christian world. So what if our children can spout off catechisms, scripture verses and doctrinal statements? Can they practice the selfless acts of discipline by learning responsibility, being trained to care for the home, giving of time and resources for the sake of the Gospel and simply learning what self-denial is? How can a child learn to deny himself when he sees a mother who denies herself nothing?