Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Baby's Cuteness, not an Excuse to Stay at Home?

My husband and I were having a discussion about whether or not women should go to work. I think that it depends on the situation. I went to college to make sure that I have enough education to be able to support myself, my husband and  my children if my husband were to get sick or lose his job.  Today women are going to work because they like to have a career. Now the question of them working or not working arises only when they have kids. My opinion is that if a woman is married and her husband is making enough money to be able to have the basic necessities of life plus a little extra and some security, (six months' cushion,)  then a woman should be able to stay at home with her baby. One of my co-workers used to cry until half a box of tissues would be used up, because of the fact that her babysitter was enjoying watching her babies grow, she wanted to be the one to read stories and doodle with her babies. She used to say that she'd rather not own a house or a car than not be with her kids. She always used to regret being out of the house. When our company offered a severance package she was the first one to take it. Some people say that women were made to raise a family. I resent that statement. Some men are great with babies. My brother is an excellent cook. So we should be able to do what we do best. When it comes to kids, their safety and well being takes presidence over every other factor there is.
Our neighbours' baby is a doll. My husband feels bad for her Mommy, when he sees her dressed up for work carrying her baby in the infant seat in this cold weather but we do not know their situation. I can only hope that when they have their second baby she does not have to go to work.

2 comments:

Jo said...

I am with you Munir. It is all about individual situations and choice. It would be good if everyone felt they had a choice. Some people don't. I stay home with my kids because my mom is a carreer woman and I hated it. But she ended up divorced twice and has to fend for herself. So I guess for her it was the right thing afterall.

Land of shimp said...

I do think we are, thankfully, moving away from gender-specific roles in most of the world and that's a good thing. A man needn't be the sole bread winner, a woman needn't cook, clean and coddle if isn't in her nature.

But eradicating gender roles is really supposed to be about enabling personal choice. So that all individuals can choose their own path based on their actual aptitudes.

I don't think it's what we, as women, do with our choices. The importance is in that we fought long and hard to have them. It also proves more freeing to men.

So should women stay home? Individual choice. No right or wrong answer, just the one best suited to the individual. Same thing with actually have children. It isn't for everyone and that's fine too.

I was returning a visit, Munir and thanks for it :-) Thought I'd throw my two cents in. Although it's more like .37 cents as I'm incapable of brevity!