(I promise--this should be safe to read no matter which side of the fence you are on! ;o)
I saw something today that touched off a nerve in a major way with me. It was on a random blog, but honestly, I would've expected better. The author of the blog was complaining about Sarah Palin, not because they disagreed with her politics (which they didn't), but because she's made the choice to have both a family and a career. Apparently it is wrong to do that and it means you are neglecting your family. Obviously as a working mom, that made me pretty angry. I am so sick and tired of this woman being judged by people on both sides for this! Her kids are FINE, the fact that she has a job is NOT going to hurt them....give me a break! (Yes, I know her daughter is pregnant but guess what? I know plenty of people who got pregnant as teens/before marriage who had stay-at-home moms, so clearly that has nothing to do with it.) I don't know much about being a governor orVice President, but I'm guessing it's not a strict 9-to-5 type schedule like mine (minus track-outs of course) and she'll still get plenty of time with her family. How much were Gore and Cheney harassed about how their jobs would interfere with their family time? How much are Obama, Biden, and McCain being harassed? Not to mention....HELLO! She has a husband, and last time I checked he wasn't in a vegetative state and is perfectly capable of caring for the children as well! Honestly, what century is this?!? I do most of the work with Ava, but that's because Craig is gone a lot and naturally it falls on me...but anytime I say, "Hey? Can you change her diaper/see why she's crying/take care of bath time/put her to bed/feed her/stop her from eating that power cord, etc.", he does it. (Okay, sometimes he tries to get out of it.... ;o) but he's CAPABLE of caring for our daughter and does a great job.)
Look--working moms work because they feel that, for whatever reason, it is the best decision they can make for their family. I work so that we don't have to live on a tight budget, so that we can afford to raise our kids in a nice, safe neighborhood, so that I can get them into an excellent school when the time comes, and so that I'm not giving up a great job when I know that in the future I"ll be paying for things like college. I'm sacrificing some time with Ava now (luckily I have a job where I still get lots of time with her!) but it will be so much better for her and any subsequent siblings in the long run. How is this in any way ungodly or wrong? Sarah Palin is doing the ultimate for her children--running for VP because she believes she can make the country a better place for them. I assume that's why both Pres/VP candidates are running, so that they can make things better in a way that they see fit...so why do we have to harass the lone female candidate (and not even Presidential candidate)? You don't have to agree with her politics or the politics of anyone else running this year, but LEAVE THEIR PARENTING OUT OF IT. For people to be that judgmental and act like they are somehow better than other people just because they don't work...that is so arrogant! Is Sarah Palin somehow neglecting or abusing her children because she works? Am I neglecting or abusing Ava because I work? HARDLY.
/rant. There....I feel a little better. Thanks for listening!
Oh, and to all of the wonderful stay-at-home moms I know who read this blog...THIS IS NOT DIRECTED AT YOU BY ANY MEANS. :o) You are very kind-hearted and are doing the best for your families as I am...this was inspired by a random blog so don't feel like I'm pointing a finger or anything! :o)
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3 comments:
Sarah Palin's family looks like a close-knit family to me. I think that her husband is wholly and completely supportive of her career and it's not like this is her first year in doing it anyway. I am sure she has discussed every step of the way, making sure that the family is all right with it--even her kids.
With me and Mr. Guy, I was worried because of my career, I wouldn't be able to give my kids the attention and love that they needed. To me, I would want one of us to stay home to take care of the kid. Mr. Guy said he would, and that's what he's been doing anyway with his son. So, I think every couple works out their thing. As long as it functions well, that's fine.
I thought of something else...again putting politics aside, look at Hillary Clinton and her daughter. Hillary didn't exactly sit around knitting sweaters and making pot roasts when her family was in the White House, but Chelsea turned out just fine. It's just ridiculous to think that a woman can't be a good parent if she has a job. Plus, don't families usually travel with their politician parents/spouses? Ugh.
I think people need to stop being so judgmental and let families make decisions that are best for them. It was best for me to stay home, but that doesn't always work out for everyone. I wish they would stop judging her and look at the real issues. They ask about her "lack of experience" and she's not even running for President. How about Obama's "experience"? Has anyone really questioned that? I hate politics.
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