BT Edmonton Blogs

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Iris Evans was in Toronto giving a speech on Alberta’s Economy to the Economic Club of Canada. Evans said that as a mother herself, she made it her mission to teach kids about money. 

All good there.

Things went a little bit sideways, however, when she cited her own kids’ experience.

“They’ve understood perfectly well that when you’re raising children you don’t both go off to work and leave them for somebody else to raise. This is not a statement against daycare. It is a statement about their belief in the importance of raising children properly.”

Now, I am a working Mum. I have made a choice that I believe is in the best interest of my family, and I do not think that I am a lesser parent for it. I love my job, and am a fulfilled, engaged person because of it. I believe that this leads me to be a fulfilled, engaged parent, who is showing my daughter that there are many freedoms and choices that women today are able to make. My income will allow her to pursue some freedoms and choices of her own when the time comes. 

If I had a job that I didn’t love, I might not work outside the home.

And that would mean that different sacrifices might have to be made.

But for our family, for now, this is what works.

I would never presume to tell another family how to run their household. It is absolutely none of my business to do so. My Mum stayed home with us. I loved it. Some of my girlfriends are stay-at-home parents. Some work outside of the home. If I put all of our kids in one room, I guarantee that you would not be able to tell whose kids were in which scenario. They are all happy, healthy and well-adjusted  (as well as loud, crazy and chaotic… everything that children are.) 

And that’s where Iris Evans has created a problem for herself.

It’s not that she made the wrong choice in how she raised her family.

It’s that she has presumed the right to tell other families how to parent “properly”.

We recieved hundreds of emails this morning, some agreeing with her statements, many more disagreeing with her stance.

Iris Evans has issued the following statement:

“If it came across as if I was undervaluing them as parents, that’s totally wrong and I would apologize for that, I certainly didn’t intend that.”

We have invited her to come on the show Monday morning to clarify her statements.

I hope she comes.

But more importantly, I hope that parents everywhere know that it doesn’t really matter what she or anyone else thinks. Just keep making the best choices you know how, and remember that in the end, we all just want the same thing. We want our kids to have every opportunity we can afford, and we want them to know that they are loved. 

The rest is details.

xo Wendy