Working moms...a real touchy issue

Stumbled into this article which talks about a controversy amidst orthodox Jewish moms.

I am a big proponent of stay-at-home WORKING Moms, who have in my humble opinion received a good deal of ignorant discrimination and derision at the hands of the "progressive/feminist/choice" crowd. Sterotypes abound...but thankfully more and more people are beginning to grant that the overemphasis on getting moms out of the house and into "real" jobs might have been misguided....similar to the "sexual revolution" whose ideological failure now has many ramifications - not the least of which keeps me employed.

It is interesting to me that you cannot laud stay-at-home mothers without seriously ruffling the feathers of working moms...in fact you generally dare not even attempt to have an intelligent "debate" regarding the issue. It is an emotional issue and in talking to many working moms I get the distinct sense that many feel guilty about leaving their young children in daycare, while at the same time struggling to reject that guilt and even feeling guilty about feeling guilty in light of the "enlightened" feminism and progressive sensibilities they feel like they should have.

I make no judgements on working moms...that is certainly not my place - especially in regards to those who claim they have no choice but to work. But I will sing loudly the praises of hardworking and devoted mothers who consider raising their kids full-time (meaning being physically present) the highest calling and most important job on the planet - and are often willing to sacrifice materially to do just that. If that causes feathers to be ruffled....sorry. No offense intended.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thank you, James, for posting this article. I work full time and am the mother of a one year old boy. I would love to be a stay-at-home mother. I cannot stay home at the moment because of finances. Although, if my husband and I sold our house and moved to a place with a lower cost of living, I could probably stay home. However, my husband does not want to move. I'm praying God will change his mind.

Juliana
6:11 PM
Fr. David said…
Amen, James. My wife and I just had our first little girl, and she is staying home while I continue to work as a schoolteacher/tutor/sponsor for other stuff at school. It's not easy, and there have already been some VERY lean moments. But I wouldn't have it any other way; neither would Audra.

She, though, is getting her masters in library science, so (Lord willing) when she gets a job as a school librarian, I'll become a stay-at-home dad for a year or so while she gets experience as a librarian! (It's a pay raise from being a teacher, so why not?)

Thanks for stickin' up fer us.
8:18 AM
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