Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Moms Save the World
That is the headline I hope to see one day soon. I was having a discussion with a fellow mom (also a successful ivf cycler, working professional) about how moms need more support in this country with regards to childcare. Most moms still could use more help in this area. We don't know what the answers are, but she sees a large untapped population of educated moms with lots of skills who are at home with the kids. Many stay home, she believes, because they cannot either find or afford quality childcare. I hope that more options will be coming as currently 60% of college students are women and 50% of professional school classes are also female. One thing would be more part time opportunities in all fields of work. I am all for less government, but it really may be time for some subsidized childcare options (or bigger tax breaks for childcare) for women who cannot afford nannies or better daycares.
We came to the agreement, that most women, whether stay at home or work outside the home, simply cannot do it all themselves and must have some help.
If our society was like that of other places, where the extended family lived together and there was always an extra pair of a relative's hands around, this would not be an issue (but I am certain there would be other issues!).
If our country had government funded/ run childcare, there would be less anxiety but we'd have a bunch more taxes/ bureaucracy.
If all women stopped working outside the home and let the males do it, we'd all have to cut back and be a lot poorer materially. There would be a bunch of females who would be really frustrated and taking lots of valium. And if the male died/ left, she'd might be SOL.
I honestly don't know the answers to this issue, and I know many magazines have been running articles (unfortunately only to simplify or berate people). One thing I hate, is when people try to tell me what I should and should not do. I will damn well decide with my own brain how to run my life. I believe our country is about choices and having lots of options. I think my friend and I concluded that we really did need to think about all this and make the world a better place, if not for us, but for our daughters.
We came to the agreement, that most women, whether stay at home or work outside the home, simply cannot do it all themselves and must have some help.
If our society was like that of other places, where the extended family lived together and there was always an extra pair of a relative's hands around, this would not be an issue (but I am certain there would be other issues!).
If our country had government funded/ run childcare, there would be less anxiety but we'd have a bunch more taxes/ bureaucracy.
If all women stopped working outside the home and let the males do it, we'd all have to cut back and be a lot poorer materially. There would be a bunch of females who would be really frustrated and taking lots of valium. And if the male died/ left, she'd might be SOL.
I honestly don't know the answers to this issue, and I know many magazines have been running articles (unfortunately only to simplify or berate people). One thing I hate, is when people try to tell me what I should and should not do. I will damn well decide with my own brain how to run my life. I believe our country is about choices and having lots of options. I think my friend and I concluded that we really did need to think about all this and make the world a better place, if not for us, but for our daughters.
