![]() As the movement of feminism persists, families are spreading apart more and more. So, is feminism tearing families apart? Is it the need for women to leave the house to feel accomplished? Is it because women who stay at home with their children feel looked down on? What are your thoughts on this? Although feminism does play a role in spreading families apart, it is not the only factor, and it is not the factor that started to change families. In order to understand how this started, we have to go back to a much simpler time, before the industrial revolution. You see, before technology and large industries, most families worked together on a farm. These farms were small, but required a lot of work. Mothers, fathers, and children all pitched in on both “inside” and “outside” chores. This is how families provided for themselves. However, this changed when the industrial revolution hit. Fathers started to leave their homes to work in factories. This left the work to the mothers and children, which started the spread of the family. As the world became more industrialized, things started to get more expensive. This eventually caused a lot of women to enter the workforce as well. Stay at home moms vs. working moms is a very controversial subject, so please take no offense to what follows, I am only discussing trends and statistics. It seems, that women had to forego their staying at home because families needed more money. Surprisingly, the numbers have shown that families tend to lose money when the woman works outside of the home. How does this happen, you ask? Well, when the woman is at home, she is tending to her children, doing every day chores, and has time to make meals for the family. When she is at work, however, there is no one to watch the kids, forcing the parents to pay for a babysitter or daycare. Also, families now need two cars instead of one, so that both parents can get to work. Once the mother and father are done with work, they are tired, which means that everyday chores get neglected. Things seem a lot busier to the whole family, so fast food comes in handy on the way home from work. So, shouldn’t the mother’s new paycheck cover all of these expenses, right? Wrong. Most families find that they have lost around $1500. Stay at home moms also get the social stigma of a “waste of a brain,” because they aren’t out using their education, or knowledge to better the world. However, there is no better place to better the world, than in the home teaching the future generation. A lot of women say they need to get out of the house so that they can find “intellectual stimulation.” In the past, it might have been difficult for women to find the stimulation they need, but with technology surrounding us, women can keep themselves informed from home, take online classes, or read about anything they want. Their options are endless. There are two articles that were extremely insightful to me, if you want to know more about these things, I encourage you to read them! http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865587127/A-womans-education-is-not-wasted-in-the-home.html?pg=all http://www.dennisprager.com/does-a-full-time-homemaker-swap-her-mind-for-a-mop/ A lot of women feel the need to go to work in order to feel self-fulfilled, or to gain social interaction. There is nothing wrong with those needs, and they should be validated. I am not saying that there is something wrong with women going to work, I am saying that there is nothing wrong with women staying at home, caring for their children, and it has its benefits. Back to financial issues. So, if families tend to lose money sending women to work, what do families do financially then? The best thing a family can do, is budget their money. I know I am guilty of the “there’s nothing I can give up, this is just how much living costs” excuse, but there is always a way to save money. If you count all of the times you eat out, or spend money on unnecessary items throughout a week, or even a month, there are surely things that could be given up to save a penny here or there. Going off of trends throughout the last hundred years, it is not feminism, then, that is spreading families apart, but financial and economic problems. So, as a family, find ways to budget and save money. It will help you work together as a family, and stay together. And mothers, if you have the opportunity or privilege and feel the desire to stay home with your children, do it!
1 Comment
Tonya
3/19/2017 07:20:00 pm
I will only speak for myself because everybody has different circumstances that drive their decisions. I was a working mom with my first husband. I will say that I believe strongly that men and women working together so many hours a week is a huge contributing factor to marital break ups. It did nothing to do my marriage any favors. After my divorce I became a single working mother and that was hard!! I didn't have a choice in the matter. I was juggling babysitters, work time, getting home at 3:00 am, trying to sleep, keep up with the house the bills, the kids, and life in general. I will say the kids suffered the most. I was exhausted, mentally zapped, spiritually drained and overwhelmed. When Blaine and I decided to get married that was a major topic for us but in the end, we decided no matter what, as long as he had the ability to work, I would stay home. I have been a stay at home mom now for almost 18 years and it is also exhausting, but I have peace of mind knowing who has my kids, that the housework is usually done, homework gets done, kids get all the places they need to be, I can give more to my callings in church, I can volunteer for more things in the community, I am around when Blaine needs help with farm stuff. My married girls know that I am around if they need me or just want the kids to have grandma time. I am able to serve others more. I do sub at the school sometimes and let me tell you, my family has no idea how to function when I'm gone!!😂 This is just me. I am grateful to be home. I do not have a college education but I guarantee that my diploma from life has taught me plenty and I can do just about anything I put my mind to. I have also seen the other side of this and being a working mom is hard too. I feel that we need to respect the decisions that people make either willingly or because they have no choice. Both are hard, both deserve respect, I'm just grateful for our choice. It isn't easy because maybe we could afford more things and better things by its not worth what I would have to sacrifice for it
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