[wardaddy]

Am I the only one who has noticed the trend lately that most stay at home moms these days (soccer moms) actually do very little child rearing.

In my neighborhood of reasonably well off 30-50 something professionals, only my wife and one other gal out of about 15 stay-at-homes actually raise their young children.

The rest shop, play tennis, join women's groups or just flit about dilletante seeking validation somewhere ignoring the kids largely.....and their husbands too btw.

I don't get it. They whine about giving up their great "careers" for the kids and then spend as much or more than they brought home before when working paying for nannies, Montessori, shopping sprees, clubs and worst of all...... group chick vacations.

Am I in some wierd Nashville twilight zone or is this going on everywhere?

B_, you up?

[who knows what evil?]

Am I the only one who has noticed the trend lately that most stay at home moms these days (soccer moms) actually do very little child rearing.

No, you are not the only one to have noticed it.

In my neighborhood of reasonably well off 30-50 something professionals, only my wife and one other gal out of about 15 stay-at-homes actually raise their young children.

Ditto. I work with hundreds of women, most of whom have several children in "day care" facilities of one kind or another.

The rest shop, play tennis, join women's groups or just flit about dilletante seeking validation somewhere ignoring the kids largely.....and their husbands too btw.

In my locale, the "women's groups" are referred to as "play groups" The 'girls' are so busy with their social circle that their husbands are left lurching around with 'blue ones'.

I don't get it. They whine about giving up their great "careers" for the kids and then spend as much or more than they brought home before when working paying for nannies, Montessori, shopping sprees, clubs and worst of all...... group chick vacations.

The women around here will bring their kids to work occasionally, to "show off" in front of the other 'mothers'...exhibiting them like a 'trophy', as someone posted previously. Disgusting. A friend of my wife's is caught up in children's birthday parties every single weekend. Today, they are having a "birthday party/tea" for a bunch of 3 year old girls. Are you kidding? This is just an excuse for another in a long series of "hen parties". On top of that, I constantly hear women 'round these parts' refer to sex as "work". Real inspirational to their husbands; I'm sure. Maybe it's just a southern 'thang'.

Am I in some weird Nashville twilight zone or is this going on everywhere?

Well...it sure is commonplace about two hundred miles to your east. :-) (Except MY house...but we're Yankees!)

HEAVY IRONY DEPARTMENT: company I work for will be laying off HUNDREDS of people over the next few months. Looks like the girls will now have PLENTY of time to care for their children and husbands now...He works in "mysterious ways".

[bourbon]

I completely agree with you. I've puzzled about the cause of this phenomenon, but I can't really come up with any good theories as to why this is happening. I guess the simplest answer is that this is just another manifestation of our culture's emphasis on extreme self-involvement at the expense of others (particularly family members). In particular and by way of amusement, I am certain that repellant TV show Sex and the City deserves much of the blame.

[Rebelbase]

I see a lot of that where I live also.

[Servant of the 9]

Am I the only one who has noticed the trend lately that most stay at home moms these days (soccer moms) actually do very little child rearing.

I am not sure that mothers ever spent that much time raising children. Before modern apliances, just doing the housework and cooking took all day. The kids were fed and dressed and sent off to school, or out to play. "come home at dinner time or if you're bleeding".

So9