One of Hanna Rosin's grievances against breast-feeding in "The Case Against Breast-Feeding," her article last year in The Atlantic, is that it prevents women from doing work that would be more productive, or at least more lucrative.

"It is a serious time commitment that pretty much guarantees that you will not work in any meaningful way," she wrote.

Hello? This week alone, as the mother of a 12-year-old at the end of summer vacation, I have spent a morning at the beach, an entire day at a water park, and an afternoon turning Gatorade bottles into papier mache fish. Need I say that no one gave me one shiny dime for any of this activity?

To the extent that women do it themselves, motherhood is a career-wrecker. Six months or so of exclusive breast-feeding at the front end seems hardly worth mentioning.

I have not worked more than 30 hours a week (most years much less) since my older daughter, Nora, was born almost 23 years ago. It was my choice, but I paid a price in diminished salary and less prestigious assignments — in opportunities.

Even so, I would do it again if I got a do-over.

Why is that? Because I can't think of anything I would rather have than time and relationships with my husband and my children. That was true when the girls were little, and it's true now.

Nora has moved 2,000 miles away this summer. When she calls me, I drop everything to talk with her. And even though, if I added up our phone/Skype sessions, the total would probably look like a serious time commitment, I don't ever worry about how much valuable time I'm losing.

(For a twist on this perspective, see "Putting a Price on Motherhood" in today's New York Times.)