| Expert Talk Free Expert Tips and Advices |
Home » Parenting » The Shame of Being a Stay Home Parent
The Shame of Being a Stay Home ParentI came across an article that spoke about Linda Hirschman’s appearance on Good morning America where she spoke of how women who stay at home are“Letting Down The Team". Here is something that I’m sure you will find "I am saying an educated, competent adult's place is in the office," Hirschman told "Good Morning America." Which translates to that moms who stay at home with their children have lowered their standards to what no educated or competent individual should want, need, accept or desire. In many ways and mainly through her narrow concepts and EXTREMISM she believes that the work of Mothers who stay home is fundamentally unimportant. I found this article interesting as I, a stay home wife and a Doctor, had struggled a lot and battled feelings of intense guilt & shame when I decided to stay home. I was attacked by many people including my own as well as my husband’s family. I was called things like "SELFISH", and ultimately made to feel like an incompetent failure. In the opinions of many, the professional workplace is the ONLY environment where REAL life is lived and important work is accomplished, and that is a fright Not being a feminist myself yet still believing in women’s rights the same way I believe in human’s rights, I must say I passionately disagree with most of Hirschman’s beliefs. Just like many others, I believe that we all have the right to live our lives they way we see best fit for us as long as our actions result in no harm to others. Having said that, the human kind has been conditioned to believe that women and/or men who chose to stay home or even work from home are doing something that is not and should not be socially validated, desired or accepted. In fact, most people link the term self employed or stay home parent with negative social status. BUT WHY?? I failed to find a solid reason for these false beliefs. The United States had an estimated 5.5 million “stay-at-home” parents in the year 2003 — 5.4 million moms and 98,000 dads, according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau and Canada probably has similar statistics if not higher. After a good 30 years into my life and career, I realized I was cheating myself by living a life someone else had set for me. Shifting paths has allowed me to live my life the way I want and you should have the right to do the same. No woman or man no matter how many Phd's they hold or books the have written or years they have worked should be allowed to denigrate the job or lack there of someone else, never the less their choice of a lifestyle! The way I see it HAVING to work in an office from 9-5 or whatever the time frame may be and the title of a J.O.B is, in its true essence, modern day slavery. From a woman’s angle if you may, we are prostituting our selves as we leave our homes and loved ones every day in the name of getting paid as we allow some one to have their way with us. So, to mothers who make the decision to stay home I say MORE POWER TO YOU! Source: Free Online Articles from ArticlesBase.com Source: Free Online Articles from ArticlesBase.com 30 year old female physician living in Halifax, Canada. As a health care professional who chose to work from home and as a member of the Fourpoint Group, she is dedicated to helping others establish a healthy, successful and vialble home business. Permalink: http://expert-talk.com/tips/632/the-shame-of-being-a-stay-home-parent-180632.htm Related Tips and Advices
| Related Tags            |
SEND A COMMENT
PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the article, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.