The books that I ordered through AcmaMall will arrive in few days time. Can’t wait to check out the Montessori books and the book about motherhood. Will review those books later once I managed to read them all.
Anyway, while bloghopping I found another book: In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms by Dr. Laura Schlessinger.
I like what one of the readers wrote:
I purchased this book for my daughter, who is juggling a job with three small children. I read it from cover to cover before I passed it on to her. It brought back many poignant memories of my youth, and the attitude in the late ’60s and early ’70s towards being a housewife and “stay-at-home” mom. I think my personal story may bring things in perspective, and support the value of this book.
In the ’60s-70s, the Feminist movement was in full swing. Of course, this movement had its rightful place, as did the Civil Rights movement that ran concurrently to the Feminist platform, since so many women were discriminated against and denied their rights in the workplace. We definitely have to understand the rage that minorities and women experienced when they were denied advantages given the white male majority. That goes without argument.
I am a woman of 60 years. I, too, as Dr. Laura, became a “Feminista” in those years, as I was outraged that women were not given the same guidance and advantages as our male counterparts. However, we were also very much brainwashed into thinking all men were evil and manipulative. We were not taught the joy of a true loving partnership with our husbands. In fact, we were encouraged to be in competition with them!
In that tumultuous time in our history, had I expressed among my friends and associates the desire to just be a loving wife and mother to my family, I would have been denigrated and dismissed. Actually, despite the Feminist movement, I opted for full time motherhood in the early 70s. Despite my happiness at staying home to nurture my children, I always felt embarrassed when I was asked, “Well, what do you DO?” In those days, your position or career determined your worth as a female..NOT your value as a mother.
When my children were in their early teens, I unfortunately became a single mother and was forced to return to the job force. I worked over two decades for a company that summarily dismissed me a few months ago. They found a younger, cheaper version of myself, despite my giving 100 percent to this company for so many years. So much for all the “glory” my career ever brought me. I’m wondering, how many working mothers are toiling for similar companies, who discard them when their usefulness is over?
What fools these mortals be, thinking that their mundane jobs provide self worth? There are exceptions, of course, but I do encourage all those working mothers out there to think about what they truly are contributing to “society” and how much they should be contributing, instead, to their own children.
They might think about this: After a certain age, when their neglected children are adults, they may find, as I did, that my stellar “career” brought me neither fortune or fame. Of course, if you are a famous brain surgeon or space scientist, this may not apply to you. But let’s face it, probably 90 percent of working mothers are employed in jobs like I had, where we are just working stiffs doing our job for the sake of some company and our pay checks.
Finally, and most importantly, what remains of my “stay at home” years is the beautiful relationship I still have with my beloved children. Those years gave me the opportunity to bond and raise them in serenity, with wonderful moments that cannot be described here. In sum, my personal glory (after my significant “career”) is in my dear, well-adjusted children and my grandchildren. My daughter, incidentally, is making great strides in becoming a stay-at-home mom, and I am proud of her!
Of course I realize there are some circumstances that are beyond a mother’s control, and she is forced to work to feed her family. But how many women are out there who are working just for more income to buy that bigger house, those flat-screen TVs, designer clothes, and all those electronic gadgets, etc. etc. etc?
Furthermore, I venture to write that if a woman is so committed to a career that she wishes to devote her entire life to that venture, she should choose, as Kathryn Hepburn did so long ago, not to bring children into the world that she could not personally raise.
I truly commend Dr. Laura for having the courage to tout this new argument to the nation. It is high time. I was a Feminista. I’ve been there, done that, and I know deep in my heart that a mother’s place is with her children. If we could bring every mother back into the home, our country would be in such a better place, removed of so much turmoil because this nation’s children would be infused with love, and not the pain of neglect.
Thank you for allowing me to express this opinion.
Now I know why there are many who are not happy with my decision to be SAHM, they are stuck with the mindset of people in the 60’s and 70’s…haha!