As a parent, cultural expectations can be hard to juggle along with family responsibilities, work, school, etc. Sara Israelsen-Hartley from the Deseret News recently wrote an article on the pressures Mormon women navigate when it comes to work, family life, and their faith. Here's just one short but powerful part of the article:
"I think that is the definition of feminism," Lammi says. "It's doing what you feel like you should do. If that's staying at home, if that's not, it's OK. I wish we could just take some of the judgment out of that."
While it's not always possible, mental health experts say the best situation is when women have the ability to choose what they feel is best for them and their family.
One study found that the women at lowest risk for depression were those moms who wanted to work and had high-quality jobs, as well as those moms who wanted to stay home and did so.
The moms at highest risk for depression were moms who wanted to work, but instead stayed at home, as well as the moms who wanted to stay home, but had to go to low-quality jobs.
However, even moms who didn't want to work, but who had high-quality jobs, still had a lower risk of depression.
"In short, neither employment nor non-employment is best for all mothers with young children," researchers from Syracuse University's Center for Public Research and University of Illinois at Chicago wrote.
Lead image from Getty Images
