Posted on 05/02/2005 1:10:49 PM PDT by sageb1
So why do thousands of career women nationwide opt to put their careers and salary-earning potential on the back burner to stay home to care for their children?
A Labor of Love
"I had zero experience taking care of children before I had my own," said Laura Mercer, mother of two boys and professional stay-at-home mom outside of Las Vegas, Nev. "Being a career woman most of my adult life, the thought of being a stay-at-home mom didn't even occur to me."
(Excerpt) Read more at salary.com ...
i remember ready an article which was explaining why certain proctor and gamble products had doubled in price far in excess of inflation.
The reason? Protor and Gamble determined if the husband and wife both worked, they could charch double for soap and other products.
I certainly hope not because I'm going to do exactly that.
If it is concidered a bad thing, so what, I'm doing it anyway. God willing, I'm going to have grandchildren to spoil!!
A new developing child needs a mother in those tender years.
And then kids need you even more when they are teens.
EXACTLY...the real reason for the rise of feminism.
You asked the following:
"As an empty nester (but still paying tuition *sigh*), one thing I'm curious about is if there has been any return to 'stay at home' wives? (Where they stay home even when there aren't children, which would be either before/after/or in the abscense of children). If a wife wanted to stay home just to be a good wife, would that be a bad thing?"
NO! It is NOT a bad thing. Considering the number of hours and energy a mom puts in to her family, it is understandable that when the kids are gone, she would want some well-deserved time off.
The problem is that moms who have stayed home to raise their children are a forgotten segment of society. If something happens to your husband and you haven't worked, you're not going to have much in the way of social security. You won't have health insurance in a time where you very well may need it. Unless the husband has made really good money and has been able to sock some away to provide for you should something happen, you are in for a lot of problems - this after you've done all the right and wonderful things for your family.
So women in this forgotten segment of society can have very real problems. They can find themselves in impoverished situations. This does not seem right when the fact that society is made healthier by stable families with the mom staying home to raise the kids. (I am not forgetting the men - I'm just speaking to the norm).
So how do we solve the problem as families, as husbands and wives, as society to make sure that the ones most responsible for maintaining society get paid back a little for their efforts?
Dream Job: Stay at home dad in a neighborhood of stay at home frustrated moms.
"...and those women are awfully resentful"
I'm wondering if these are the women who give SAHMs so much flack? The only negative comments I've ever heard about me staying home to raise the kids (and the Hubby, lol) have come from women! Even the young guys Hubby works with say when they get married they want their wives to stay home, too. I've often been puzzled by the blistering attacks I've received at the hands of other women, but maybe this explains it. :\
And, I have to agree with another poster that quitting my made less impact on our finances than we thought. Less gas, less wear and tear on my car, no childcare costs, no work clothes, less convenience foods since I have time to cook from scratch, etc. Granted, we don't live high on the hog, but my kids are worth it. :)
That's because if that were done, they think they would be able to shut us up.
I am not proposing stay-at-home moms get paid. I AM proposing that we stop giving the feminists all the benefits which allow them to continue working.
Well, I just know that there are times I know I'm not being the best wife I could be if I were home and "taking care" of my husband. He would never have to go to the dry-cleaners or shoe repair ever again.....
Funny. She has a tough job - managing that inheritance.
Exactly my point! Thank you.
I'm sorry :)
Let's say a woman chose to stay at home and raise her family.
Suddenly, husband dies/becomes disabled. Catastrophic medical bills (what isn't covered by meager insurance) gobble up small savings, create huge debts.
She has no marketable job skills, if she has a college degree it's 20 years out of date.
She is completely screwed.
I'm still giggling over that picture of Heinz-Kerry. I hope you don't mind that I stole it. :)
To make a point. Stay-at-home moms have been made to feel worthless by feminists and by society, which is why we've come to this point to begin with. American society has deteriorated and this is one of the biggest reasons why.
"As an empty nester (but still paying tuition *sigh*), one thing I'm curious about is if there has been any return to 'stay at home' wives? (Where they stay home even when there aren't children, which would be either before/after/or in the abscense of children).
If a wife wanted to stay home just to be a good wife, would that be a bad thing?"
Holy cow, talk about dream of dreams! I could be eating bon bons from a chaise lounge and posting to FR all day!! :)
Neither is the $600,000/yr. CEO.
Additionally, when you decide to have children, you choose less pay in exchange for not showing up at the office everyday. Motherhood doesn't pay cash. If you want a salary, get a paying job.
The working dads are already being taxed to help pay for the societal ills caused by the break-up of the traditional family. Your tax dollars are working to support services for single moms and their families, as well as the fact that you are paying higher prices for things because the feminists beg for things like on-site daycare, after-school programs, etc.
If you didn't have to pay for so many of those things, perhaps you'd have a little more to spend or save for your own family needs.
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