The role of government as the nanny state has certainly upset the natural order of things.
Husbands, fathers, breadwinners have been beaten down while women have been told they can have it all.
But to have it all, you give it all up - closeness to children, time together as a family unit and true connection to your spouse.
Having a huge home and children in daycare is not the answer. More and more people are seeing the tragedy of neglecting to nurture a strong family unit.
Strong families are the bedrock of a society.
Unless the editorial is a parody (like that guy on NRO who keeps catching us with our "suspension of disbelief" showing), the author would not agree with your statement.
To her, "meaningful" means "money."
I know what I do -- preparing the next generation to take its place in the world -- is beyond meaningful compensation. That's why I work for someone who will pay me.
Exactly how can a woman work a full time career, cook the meals, and have energy left to be involved emotionally with the children.
And lets add in the fact that many careers require enormous hours for periods. Its simply not possible to be a mother and for example a soldier in a far away land. At that point kids become just an accessory.
And often an only accessory, you couldn't be a mother to a large family and have a career realistically.
What you say is also true about homes, so many invest many years salaries to live in a beautiful home. For the status. But I don't think many realize just what it means.
For example if with mortgage interest a home was 1million dollars. That would be 25 years working for the woman, at 40k a year. Kids would rather spend time with their parents, then have a huge home with a view.
"But to have it all, you give it all up - closeness to children, time together as a family unit and true connection to your spouse."
I've gotten flamed for my opinion on this topic before, but again, I totally disagree with you about this. My mother was (and still is) a successful working woman, who is still married to my dad (almost 40 years now), and I have never been more proud of or inspired by anyone else. I remember helping her proofread her doctoral dissertation when I was in highschool, and thinking that she was the person I wanted to be when I grew up. Neither my brother nor I ever felt neglected or disconnected from our family, and we were both encouraged towards academic and extracurricular accomplishments, both by words and example. I don't think my life would be nearly as enriched as it is if my mother hadn't been so inspiring.