Am I selfish to stay home and raise my kids?

Q: I am ridiculed by my friends for choosing to stay home and raise my children, telling me that I could give them a better life by pursuing a career. I am grateful my husband works hard, but we struggle to make ends meet though we are committed to living with less so that I can be a stay-at-home mom. Is this selfish of me? — C.M.

A: Gadgets and devices, social media, and entertainment in general, have revolutionized the home — and not always for the good. In a complicated society, it is no easy matter to keep the domestic life on an even keel. Families are fragmented. The old-fashioned Sunday afternoon dinners and family time seem to have gone out with the horse and buggy.

Many homes today have become little more than dormitories, where members of the family eat and sleep but otherwise have little communication with each other. The “latchkey kids” are now grown with families of their own and many do not understand the secret of a truly happy home.

Beware of those who say, “Get ahead! Do your own thing. Don’t worry about anyone else — run your own life!” In the process, family life disintegrates and children can grow up emotionally scarred and insecure because they have never known the stability of home. The home — which was intended to be the basic unit of our social structure — is under attack at an alarming rate.

We must not discount the still small voice that speaks to our hearts. God holds each person accountable for their decisions in life. The most important thing that parents are commanded to do is to train children in the things of God. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 tells parents to teach the Word of God diligently to your children. This will be great preparation for children as they learn to live in a complicated world.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

©2021 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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