WOH/Kids/Feminism: WDYT?

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-29-2004
WOH/Kids/Feminism: WDYT?
1456
Tue, 02-08-2005 - 9:06am

Okay, let's debate something else. One morning a few months ago, I was crabby to DH about having to get ready for work. DH said, "Well, if you don't want to go to work, quit!"

Later that day, I told him I was just venting, and then I told him some of the reasons I really do like WOH. One reason was something to the effect that I wanted to WOH as part of at-home feminism for our DD's. He said he had no idea what I was talking about.

I thought about it some and decided that although this is a heartfelt idea for me, it's still fuzzy. I suppose I meant that I want to show my DDs how to live independently of a man, in the sense of income, ability to make one's way in the world, and so on, even if they choose marriage & kids. My feelings of pride in my own mom, who was a WOH mom, come into it, too.

Caution: I don't mean in any way to suggest anything the least bit negative about SAH moms. That's not what this is about. Nor do I mean to suggest that anyone has to WOH to teach their kids feminist or gender neutral values. That's not what this is about, either.

Do you think there's any value in WOH as part of raising kids? Please help me clarify my thinking.

Sabina

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-04-2004
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 9:47am

True.

Wytchy

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2005
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 9:50am
I really don't see how two people couldn't have long commutes even with an 8-5 dc schedual. One parent simply works early hours. Its all about priorities and long term career position planning, I say. And residential planning. Quite clearly, if dc works 8-5, most of the clientelle in the area must find that a suitable schedual, and, I presume, work locally on some sort of 8:30 - 4:30 schedule. Perhaps if one saw any benefit whatsoever to a dual woh scenario, they'd need to find a more accomdating area in which to live. We certainly considered the extent to which the services we needed, were provided, in our town, before buying there.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 9:51am

And what would you do if she didn't?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-10-2004
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 9:53am

I miss bike paths so much it hurts.

My former DH and I used to hike up in the hills all the time. I miss that, too. The hiking, not him. :-o And then we would stop at the Town and Country across the street from Paly HS and get fruit smoothies. Yum.

mom_writer

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2005
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 9:57am
But thats life - its been going on forever. People also get just as pushed out of neighbourhoods when the neighbourhoods decline. Or get torn down and built up with something else. One of the reasons its a reall good idea for people to not underestimate the importance of earning power to their future lives. Just can't count on doing what ones parents did, where they did, they way they did.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2005
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 10:05am
OH NO! One man shop software brought into critical production use in the real world. NOOOOOOOO. Somewhere, IT staff are contemplating his untimely demise.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2002
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 10:06am

Ah, Town and Country....how could I forget? I went to Paly for a couple of years and it was an open campus at that time so we often went across the street to hit a small candy store there that sold the real gummi bears from Germany (probably no big deal these days but it was pretty exotic back then...the candy store was wonderful, one of those very old fashioned ones where everything was loose and had to be weighed and measured and the owners served the customers). I've haven't been back to that part of town for many years so I have no idea if Town and Country is still standing or what it looks like any more.

Laura

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-04-2004
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 10:07am

Yes- one does. Which makes it difficult when one speaks as though one is referencing facts rather *than* opinions. You're saying that someone *wouldn't* have 'X' rather than 'One generally wouldn't have 'X' unless...' or something like that. Half of the things that are said around here I'd probably at least partially agree with if they didn't take the absolutist tone that they do ;)

Wytchy

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-04-2004
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 10:09am

OK- so it's possible to do it and do it comfortably according to what is generally considered 'comfortable' around here. That better? ;)

Wytchy

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 10:20am
Salt is more damaging in higher temperatures, like in an attached garage, than it is to cars left outside in the cold.

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