I do not like the narrative that a working mom is essential to the economy.
The Throne Speech promises a national childcare system with high standards that is accessible and affordable for all women. First, I do not believe any government can run a fiscally responsible business like that and it will be a gong show. Second, a mother will never look back on her life and think, “I spent too much time with my kids.”
What they are basically telling us is that it is not going to be affordable to stay home and raise kids and there is something better and more worthwhile you should be doing.
It is a reasonable choice for a family to have a parent stay home full-time protecting, supporting, and providing to her family. The government should support mothers that choose to work outside the home and mothers who do not. There are benefits to both.
Growing a child inside of us for 9 months and then giving birth is the most magical and divine experience a mother will ever have. It is uniquely ours. It is our finest hour. Why are we building an economic case for why mothers should work outside the home? Mothers should not be used as an economic plus for the government. As more and more expectations are put on us by society the less time and fewer choices mothers have.
The greatest responsibility we have as mothers is to raise our kids properly and provide homes that are safe, encouraging, and stable. If you are not supporting me for choosing to stay home to raise a family and I’m not supporting you for choosing to aspire to a fulfilling career and a family, then we have no business calling ourselves feminists.
The role of mother should not be negated or diminished by a society that places a title, a bank balance, or some tax dollars above raising children. Let us not forget what our first responsibilities are. We must continue to stand together and fight for our rights as mothers to make choices that suit us best and not let some bean counter decide for us. Am I the Only One?
Column By Carrie Wynne
I totally agree with everything you said in your your article Carrie – The Economy of Mothers.
I felt this way when I was raising my kids in the late seventies, early eighties, and was swimming upstream with those views even back then.. I know it is even harder now.
I chose to be at home for 13 years to be available to provide full-time nurturing and guidance for my children. When they were 9 and 13, I went back to school full-time for three years as a divorced parent, then entered a career outside the home, which I am still in.
I however, consider my chosen work that I did at home raising my kids, my first career and most valuable work.
You are right, the role of mother should not be negated or diminished by a society that places a title, a bank balance, or some tax dollars above raising children. And other mothers too should be more supportive, not judgemental or critical of those mothers who choose to work within their home and raise their children..
You are not alone!
Well said, Ms Wynne.
However well-run a daycare institution, there is no substitute, for young children, for the care of an attentive LOVING mother. Day-care workers might be kind and well-meaning but there is not the same sense of belonging or permanence. And mothers with jobs outside the home often don’t have much time for their children at those times when they are home together, because there are so many household tasks that need doing.
Of course, many mothers can’t afford to stay home with kids. Or they don’t want to interrupt a career that’s going well. There is no easy answer. But I’m glad to read an argument in support of stay-at-home mothers.