Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Full-time all the time

Random rant that I feel strongly about, so just put up with me for a few minutes here.

Dear Stay-at-Home Parents (who think that only they can exclusively call themselves "Full-time Parents" and feel that they have the hardest and most important job in the world),

I'm sorry to break it to you, but you don't. In fact, you only have half the job that some others do. Because - believe it or not - parents who participate full-time in the workplace, do not come home to part-time parenting. No, in fact, they come home to full-time parenting: the same job that you do all day, they do when they come home. So they essentially have two full-time jobs. It's called "Time Management".

I understand that you may be frustrated by the lack of recognition and financial reimbursement of full-time parenting, but here's the thing: it's even less valued and recognised as an occupation if you are a full-time participant in the workforce, because there is the assumption (by a select few) that you cannot be a full-time parent AND a full-time worker. So they take claim to the title of "Full-time Parent" and take it to define only those who do this exclusively.

Oh, and another thing, if full-time parenting was financially reimbursed - I bet you anything that parents who are also full-time participants in the workforce would be excluded from that payment. And you'd all be okay with that. So go figure.

Anyway, just putting it out there for the next time someone starts giving me their spiel about how exclusive full-time parenting is "the hardest and most important job in the world".

End rant/

1 comment:

  1. I know that this is an older post, but I hadn't been to your blog in a while, and just read it. I have to disagree with you somewhat....having been a full-time post-doc, now a full time medical student, I can confidently say that the 5 years I spent as a stay at home mum were 100x more difficult than anything I've ever experienced in the work-force. I think the reason why SAHM start giving a spiel about it, is because those who don't stay at home and raise the kids view SAHM as women who do not contribute to society. So, I'm disagreeing with you over this one.....it is difficult, draining, never ending, and thankless work. I'm sure you'll change your point of view when you actually have kids one day.

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