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Highly Educated Stay-at-Home Mothers: A Study of Commitment and Conflict
Stacey E. Rubin
Private Practice, Stacey.rubin @mac.com
H. Ray Wooten
St. Mary's University
Women continue to take on financial responsibility for their families while remaining the primary caretaker of the children. The tension between the dual roles of mother and professional leads some women to trade their career for more time with their children. This qualitative study investigated the lived experience of 10 highly educated stay-at-home mothers using individual in-depth interviews. The dominant themes encompassed the decision to stay home, the benefits and challenges of staying home, and the need for self-care. Findings indicate that women who have achieved a high degree of education and professional success and stay home full-time face a complex range of emotions and experiences significant to counselors working with this population.
Key Words: educated caretakers • professional mothers • stay-at-home mothers
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The Family Journal, Vol. 15, No. 4,
336-345 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1066480707304945
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