Friday, September 07, 2007

The New Mommy Track

Last week U. S. News and World Report ran an article on "The New Mommy Track." It was about companies allowing their employees to work flextime, allowing moms to to be home more with their children. I think allowing mothers to be home more with their children is a great idea.

They told of a lawyer who can now eat breakfast with her family (because she got up at 5:00 and worked for two hours before the kids got up) and she can be home in time to make dinner. This is wonderful? How much was she seeing her children before?!? Showing up for breakfast and dinner? This is the mommy track? Who's taking care of the kids between breakfast and dinner? Does anybody care? Is it insignificant who takes care of the kids for the majority of the day? Mothering is important!! How can people have so little regard for children?

I just don't understand this mentality. This woman's children were 2 years old and an infant. Where did our society get the idea that caring for one's own children was somehow menial and/or meaningless work. It is a mother's greatest work.

5 comments:

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

Doesn't sound very "flex" or appealing to me.
You mean she couldn't be home for breakfast or dinner BEFORE this schedule?
I pity the children involved in arrangements such as these, if there is no absolute financial necessity involved.

Anonymous said...

Hi Rose!

You are so right AND so funny!!! This scenario reminds me of the Emporer's New Clothes.
HELLO??
Love,
Mary

Rosemary said...

Barb, exactly. You mean she missed breakfast and dinner before? What does it mean to be a mother? To be the one whose uterus was used??
Mary, I know. I've thought the same thing-- the emperors new clothes...doesn't anyone see how ridiculous this is??

Anonymous said...

So true..it's all ridiculous!

Jean Heimann said...

Where did our society get the idea that caring for one's own children was somehow menial and/or meaningless work?

I think it was Margaret Sanger who invented this idea.