This is the most interesting article on the whole "why are so many smart, educated women staying home with their kids" debate I've read in ages.
It's like I said last week (see post below on "dating down" and then discussion that followed), the real issue most women face is finding someone to help at home. Most married or partnered couples with kids find that life runs more smoothly if one partner focuses more on earning money and the other focuses more on domestic life. This just makes good logistical sense. Or it can work when you have enough money to hire someone to truly handle the domestic stuff while both partners focus on earning money.
The problem is that too often, women are assumed to be the ones who will handle the domestic front. And now, we are also expected to earn money.
I love being a mother and I'm pretty good at it, but I am TERRIBLE at housekeeping, cooking, etc. I am far better at the work I do at my job - at earning money. For this reason, if I lived with an adult guy, it might make good sense for that person to focus more on the home front, despite his gender.
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Katie said: For this reason, if I lived with an adult guy, it might make good sense for that person to focus more on the home front, despite his gender.
No, Kate. It's definitely going to make sense an adult male living in your environs to focus more on the home front than you typically do, even if he makes lots of money. I recommend someone who's completely OCD about this kind of stuff. When I was with such a person, I found that we not only split the household chores in a way that seemed equitable, but also it raised my expectations for what things I'd do. I really liked living in a cleaner, neater, less cluttered household.
Of course, you do live with a couple males and a female who are quite capable. Just because you're convinced that you are inept in the kitchen doesn't mean that they need to be. They can probably use brooms and mops too. But I'm no authority on raising kids.
But your place looked great on Saturday. Maybe you don't need anyone after all.
What's working for us is finding someone else who cleans for a living. She blazes through the mopping, dusting, bathrooms, and such. Then we have time to do the things we like to do around the house, such as cooking, etc. Do what you like to do and hire someone else to do the rest, is my philosophy.
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