In case you missed that one (not that I read Daily Mail anyway, but it was commented upon on some blogs). My comments will be in italics.
Daily Mail announces that the new breed of feminists has finally arrived - the homemakers!
Daily Mail goes on to mention the new book by that lovely lady Sheryl Sandberg, who I have heard, left her baby when it was only 2 weeks old to go back to the office. It appears that not all women were amused:
A growing number of women are dismissing the career-driven conventions they were raised with, saying no to full-time work; believing instead that every household needs one primary caretaker - the mother.
One of them was Kelly Makino, who describes herself as a feminist but then goes on to say how happy she is to finally be able to quit her job and stay home with her own children:
Her sacrifice of a salary pays her family back in ways Mrs Makino believes are priceless, and she is not alone. A new breed of young, educated, and married mothers are finding themselves untouched by the notion of 'having it all.'
Of course, as I previously mentioned in one of my posts, no one can have it all. It seems that the younger generation of women has finally figured it out, which fact combined with the state of economy, led to the reduction of the amount of women in the workforce:
For the first time since the downturn of 2008, the percentage of stay-at-home mothers rose between 2010 and 2011 - and some of the biggest increases have been among younger mothers, aged 25 to 35.
Another lady, Patricia Ireland, left her job, too, and has no plans to return back to work. She finds that it's a privilege to be able to take care of her children:
she feels it is a privilege to oversee 'not just what they do, but what they believe, how they talk to other children, what kind of story we read together. That’s all dictated by me. Not by my nanny or my babysitter.'
Amazingly, she doesn't feel that her husband oppresses her by allowing her to stay home! That's what she said:
'I’m not bitter that I’m the one home and he goes to work. And he’s very happy that he goes to work.'
Daily Mail then quotes another lady who made a ground-breaking discovery: she has figured out that the sex differences can be inherent (she is still not sure about it, though):
In her much-discussed Atlantic piece, Why Women Still Can't Have It All, Anne-Marie Slaughter called for better workplace programs: more parental leave, more part-time and flextime options.
But even she admits this new breed of women could be on to something. 'Are there characteristics inherent in sex differences that make women more nurturing and men more assertive?' she asks in Lean In. 'Quite possibly.'
Of course, then we all have once again to hear the tiresome complaint about women still earning less money than men. However, instead of demanding more affirmative action (if women are equal, why do they need it anyway?), the Daily Mail quotes Mrs Makino again:
'I know this investment in my family will be paid back when the time is right,' she said, referring the option of someday, when her children start college, figuring out what she will peruse next.
Apparently some women are not interested in fighting for their gender equality, they'd rather work for their own family than for some corporation. Interesting enough, the heroine of this piece is not dreaming of rushing back to the office the moment the children are older. , She wants to have a well-kept lawn instead:
Maybe I will be home for ever and ever. Maybe I will have the best-kept lawn on the block for the rest of my life
It makes little sense for older women to go back to work. If the family finances allow it, why not staying home and just enjoying your life? If you click the link above, you can read the whole article and the comments.
Very interesting, indeed! And good news! As a SAHW w/o children people are often surprised that I don't work outside my home and wonder what I do all day. There is certainly PLENTY to do. Yes, it can get a little lonely since neighborhoods are so empty these days, but I'm so thankful for homemaking blogs and now it seems that maybe the neighborhoods might start filling back up again. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, you are right, there is always something to do at home! I'm always amazed at those ladies who say that they can't keep themselves occupied the whole day. May be, they should find some creative hobby.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, your own blog is lovely, too! Thanks for linking to me.
ReplyDeletePeople think women are just going to run like a new washing machine for ever and ever, and that she can just go to work outside the home when she reaches 50 years of age, and the children are grown. The problem with that kind of thinking is they are not taking into account the stamina and health of women age 50-70. You reach a point where you know you can't keep up the pace the world expects of you and need to have more rest. Yet the rest of the world wants the 40-70 year old women to get up and get a job outside the home. Do they think these women are going to have the strength of teenagers?
ReplyDeleteYou are right.
DeleteThere is really nothing new under the sun! The old ways always prove to be tried and true. Love Lady Lydia! She always encourages me
ReplyDelete