My Feminist Motherhood reading...

On Sunday a teenager asked with a fair amount of criticism in her voice, "so are you a femenist."

"Yes," I said, "A raging one."

So as a feminist and as a mother and as someone who thinks that staying home does not negate these two perspectives and that going to work does not necessarily embody these two perspectives I have struggled.

Part of me really wants to be with Junia at home and some moments I believe that this would be better for Junia...some times I am confident that being at work (and enjoying it) is important for my daughter. Rather than going into all these issues right now. I want to offer a couple of books I've been reading about contemporary feminism, work, and the relationship between the two. And by the way, one of the things I've learned is that the most important thing for children is that the mom is happy with what she is doing...that seems to develop the most independent, capable and emotionally stable adults.

Richards, Amy, Opting In: Having a child without losing yourself. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2008.

de Marneffe, Daphne, Maternal Desire: On children, love and the inner life. Back Bay Books, New York, 2004.

Chira, Susanm A Mother's Place: taking the debate about working mothers beyond guilt and blame. Harper Collins Books, New York 1998.