Who's Bringing Up Baby?

As history progressed for "woman's rights" in the workplace, it has regressed for the woman who wants to stay at home and provide the stability that is so lacking in the American family. The dual income has forced inflation to rise to the point that a single income cannot possibly provide even the basic of necessities. The tug of war has only changed sides.
Once again women really do not have a choice whether they choose to work outside the home or stay at home, just as before. Women are forced to choose between family and work. It is simply not fair. Have we really made any progress?

Haven't we just traded one set of adversaries for another?

(this article appeared in the San Jose Mercury in the mid-late 80's)

WHO IS BRINGING UP BABY?
Remember the old days when it was the new, independent trend for women to take jobs outside of the home? These days the double income is the norm.Only the above-average incomes have allowed some of the nearly-extinct single income families to survive. This gives us a rare opportunity to look at different families and ask the question: does the lack of a parent in the home cause the growing trend of adolescent pregnancies, drug abuse, gang violence, and high school drop outs?
There is no need to lay a guilt trip on women. Whether driven from a need or a desire to gain more material possessions, some women don't have a choice when it comes to working or staying at home to grow the children.
Besides, that, the thought of mere housewifery is downright boring for some. The variety and satisfaction provided by working outside the home gives the edge to the self-actualization process.
But the cost of this is splashed across the news pages and broadcast into our homes on the evening news. Gang violence. Drug running. A country's youth with nothing else of value to which they can gives their lives.
What is it that we work our whole lives for anyway? In the end the goal is to reproduce ourselves, to carry on the work to make the world a better place. Perhaps a better investment would be to spend time raising the children. The day to day presence of an adult in the home tells the children they are important, worthy, and able to make something of value out of their lives.
This may mean a different career for the man or woman of a parental pair. For some couples it would mean sacrificing a higher standard of living. For still others no change is in order, a free country is a free country.
If part of the humans drive to work is to "save the world", perhaps now that effort would be best spent in the home raising those who are our future?