Sunday, August 8, 2010

Cut Michelle Obama Some Slack!

There has recently been a lot of talk about the First Lady's trip to Spain, and how much she spent on the trip.

I know I'll get some flack for my viewpoint, but I commend Michelle Obama for taking a mother-daughter trip abroad with Sasha. Michelle Obama does not apologize for putting her family first, nor should she. Yes, the trip to Spain came with a hefty price tag, but unfortunately, the Obamas no longer have the luxury of traveling without an entourage, including a security detail, and if I were in Michelle Obama's shoes, protecting my children would be at the top of my list, no matter what the cost.

Could they have gone somewhere domestically? Sure. But that is not what they chose to do. As a mom, I'd love to expose my children to as much of the world as I can. Sure, they can learn about Spain or Greece or Korea by reading books, watching videos, and even taking a trip to a local Spanish, Greek, or Korean restaurant. But the journey, the experience of leaving what is familiar and immersing yourself in another culture is an education that no textbook can teach.

Let's be honest. If you had the opportunity to travel to Spain this summer with your children, stay in a five-star hotel, and have lunch with the king and queen, would you pass it up? I know I wouldn't!

Parenting is hard. There are many days when I, your average citizen, second-guess myself about decisions I've made or a comment I've made. I sometime worry needlessly about my children's safety when they leave the house to catch the bus for school, or carpool to a party. I cannot imagine parenting with the world looking on. All I say, "Keep up the good work, Michelle Obama!"

No comments:

Post a Comment