Some snippets:
Although it felt surreal to walk out the door and leave you behind the day my maternity leave ended, and I couldn't quite believe I was doing it until I was, it was also a relief to relax into some normalcy after the wondrous upheaval you brought to my life.There is a great little list with the reasons the author works, including because it makes her happy, because they need the income, and more. And then this:
I work because -- despite my being the parent who's almost always the one walking through the door at 6 pm, the one who rarely travels for the work, the one who's keeping track of the fact that the permission slip for the field trip is due tomorrow -- you'd never ask your father why he works. His love is a given that long hours at work do nothing to diminish.I work because even at your young age you've absorbed the subtle message that women's work is less important and valuable -- and that the moms who really love their kids don't do it.I work because by the time you have your own daughter, I cross my fingers this will not be so.
Amen to that.
What a beautifully and thoughtfully written article!
ReplyDeleteBlah, Read that article and I couldn't believe a mom made a social issue and women's rights issue out of a question kids ask. She said her daughter didn't ask her father why he worked- I'd be worried more about that cause my daughter has asked why my husband and I work (both of us). One thing proven is kids equate time with love and this woman equates time with money. Sad, really. One big step back for women because women have this guilt syndrome, always needing to apologize and she felt the need to justify why she works- whereas I bet her husband doesn't feel that need. I believe moms are supposed to have a deeper bond with their young children and this woman believes she should be regarded as he would be. Really sad. Sad that women aren't happy unless they're treated like men. What about the value in being a woman? Stay at home moms do not get valued in society, but our kids value it immensely. Working moms get societal value but have issues regarding work and kids. I am a writer and I found a way to do it from home. Working from home isn't easy but it is doable. The article author could od the same...if she wanted to.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's a fair point.
DeleteI agree with this: kids value stay at home mums immensely. I had a stay at home mum and I tell her this often - it was great for us. Not so much for her though.
Working from home is great for those who can, such as writers. I have dreams of doing that, but I have to admit I prefer being in the office with people I work with.
You make a very good point that the purpose of most of these articles is probably to justify our choices!