Urethra Franklin said:
People's expectations have changed. One wage is no longer sufficient to supply all the electronic gadets, cars and holidays we've come to take for granted. Not to mention the small fortunes United Statesians send to televangelists.
You ignore the large numbers of women who've suffered mental illnesses such as depression though being subjugated into the nice mumsy housewife rôle you'd love us all to take on. The fact that these pressures have made women ill is well documented, by male (Raymond Murphy) as wel as female sociologists/psychologists/psychiatrists.
It makes sense that if you have two able bodied, capable people able to fulfil their potential and contribute to the economy, they should have the opportunity to do so. Child care facilities in turn provide employment which aids the economy, as well providing children with the healthy experience of sharing and interacting with other kids which compliments family life. The guilt thrown at working women for "ignoring" their children is of course bullcrap. Crèches provide stimulation and a pre-school education they don't get at home with one mother (who invariably in your world has to sit them in front of the TV while she gets the roast in the oven and slippers by the fire).
It's useless citing anecdotal examples of this successful woman here and the woman who was a happy housewife there. Women have to prove themselves twice over to be successful, and there will always be some women who enjoy staying at home to raise kids and cook hubby's supper - more power to their CHOICE, for I am all in favour of choice, but please keep your moralistic claptrap to yourself. Maybe you're frightened of independent women Fonzy? Threatened by a woman who can hold her own? Yeah, lifes easier with a "groovy chick" isn't it?
You know, I wouldn't be surprised if "Happy Days" was concoted by the US government. Lets feed them this s*it about "cool" kids who go home to their happy families, eat apple pie and go to church. And we'll throw in this "rebel" Fonz who's actually a sexist prat (Henry Winkler is an ugly ****er - one of the few men on this planet I wouldn't sleep with) and they'll think that's daring. What a womderful rôle model for tomorrows great United Statesian citizens. Oh, only the white ones though. Sad nation.
Obviously you missed the point. On one hand you include yourself with us when chattering about electronics & holidays, etc. but, distance yourself from us; referring to us as United Statesians; when talking about televangelists.
Actually, I love & respect independent women. My mother is a retired teacher. My wife owns & operates her own business. Both of my sisters work & one of them makes more than her husband. My point is that I have been around independent women all my life & have no problem with them. That was actually one of the things I liked about my wife when I met her. The problem, as I see it, is when neither parent is there to raise the children. My wife & I did use daycare when needed, but that was not our first choice. And, I stress OUR CHOICE. You really have to do your homework & checkout daycare centers as they all are not up to snuff.
As for people's expectations that have changed: Society has changed. Some for the better & some for the worse. Neighborhood, family owned grocery stores are not the norm anymore as they used to be. The need for a second family car was perpetuated by the advent of the supermarket. Plus the fact that many older neighborhood schools have been closed & communities have opted for fewer, larger, more centrally located schools to cut the cost of education. In some cases not even offering busing. Plus kids are involved in school sports (at that central location) while communities are not utilizing their neighborhood parks as much as they used to. Many of them are not fit for kids to play because they've been neglected. All this is a part of the slippery slope/downward spiral while you contend that women in the workforce has helped our economy. I find that laughable when average middle class families with two incomes don't have near the quality of life they had 30 years ago with a single income.
As I said before: I do not blame this all on women in the workforce but it certainly is a contributing factor.
side note: I also know a family where the women has a high paying exec career & the husband stays home to be the home maker (cooks, cleans, teaches the children before they reach school age, involved in the local school system, etc.). To me, it's not about women in the workforce so much as it is about both parents having to work to make ends meet. I will always believe that our children suffer as a result.
