Irony

I had a friend who'd always maintained that she would never in 1,000,000 years send any child of hers to daycare.  She'd always told me that she was planning on staying home, or at least hiring a nanny.  That only bad / selfish mothers would send their children to daycare.  That all daycares were horrible places that neglected and abused children.

After years of trying to promote a more moderate view, eventually I gave up I'd just sit there and say, "uh huh," when she went on these rants. 

And lo, I was just taking a look at facebook, and I noted with GREAT irony a wall post featuring her daughter's "graduation certificate" from the infant classroom at her local daycare. Ha.

No, I don't expect that she will ever say, "OMDG, you were right.  Not all daycares are horrible places."  Writing this blog post is my, "I told you so," since I would never say that to her face.

(Though I do wish she would apologize for telling me that I was selfish and would be a bad mother for saying daycare was ok sometimes.  A girl can dream.)

But also, look at me and all the hand wringing I do about sending my kid to daycare.  Haha.



Similarly, in med school I was briefly friends with a girl who told me with absolute decisiveness that she was planning on going into pediatrics and working part time because she wanted to have kids.  That only a selfish woman would even consider working full time -- or pursuing a more time consuming specialty -- and having kids.  That I was a bad person, and would be a horrible mother, for suggesting that there were multiple ways one could live ones life, and that usually the kids turned out ok either way.

And lo.  Look who became a vascular surgeon.

(And with even more irony -- look at who's considering peds in part because of the acceptance in the field of flexible hours so that I can pursue research / having more kids if I want to.)



And then there was the other friend who told me that only horrible rich spoiled children went to private school.  Even if they lived in Manhattan.  And that she would never send a child of her's to private school because only elitist snobs would do such a thing.  She also swore she would never carry a fancy purse.

And lo.  Look who's living in Manhattan working for a consulting firm, carrying a fancy purse, and talking about sending her kids to private school.

And look at me, thinking of 'burbing out at some point so that we can send the kid(s) to public school.



Ah, irony.