Salon.com writer: Motherhood is not a job

http://www.salon.com/2012/04/27/motherhood_is_not_a_job/singleton/

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Motherhood and jobs is apples and oranges. Arguing about it is like talking about politics and religion at Thanksgiving dinner. All it leads to is indigestion.

 

If you are doing it the right way, it is one of the hardest things to do.

 

I don't think it takes an ad to express this sentiment. Almost every parent, although they don't say it because it makes for socially awkward moments around single people, believe this is true. As a single person, I want to call that a conceit, but I'm not sure where I stand on it frankly. I don't know if one is better person because they have children. Maybe.

The Coen brothers' "A Serious Man" explored Judaism's perspective on this issue really well with the character of Uncle Arthur.

 

Remember the thread here years ago about the Fuck Trophies?

 

Hmmmmm ... I'm not quite sure I would express it that way. I don't think my life is more important than that of childless people. In fact, in some ways, I think their lives can exceed mine in importance because they have more time and energy to pour into making the world a better place. I feel like having children constraints my efforts in some ways rather than elevates my existence. Of course, that's the trade off you choose, and there is so much about it that's rewarding. I wouldn't choose it any other way. But, essentially, I think it is wrong to say that parents think that they are more important than single people or that single people are lesser citizens.

Now, what do I think? I think that it is really, really, really, really hard. And I think that single or childless people - including myself a few years ago - have no clue how really, really, really, really hard it is. Not that those people haven't taken on really, really, really, really hard endeavors in their lives. Some even harder, in different ways, than child-rearing. But this is one of those things that you absolutely, 100 percent have to experience yourself to understand at all what it entails. My brother is about my age and single and childless (serious girlfriend, but no plans to get married or start a family). We're very close, but it is simply amazing how different our lives are.

 

We both overvalue and devalue motherhood in this culture. The column merely points this out. Again.

 

People who mock the challenge of parenthood either had shitty parents and/or are self-absorbed assholes who cannot fathom their world revolving around anyone but themselves.

 

Option 3: It's a defense mechanism after being told repeatedly how their lives pale in comparison.

 

The column in question certainly doesn't mock the challenges of parenting.

Mocking the constant overstatement of those challenges in western culture seems fair game for satire, however.

 

How about raising a family, without a household staff (like Romney) and needing a paying job to support those children? THat's harder than being Ann Romeny. How about raising a special needs child, without a household staff, and having to work a fulltime paying job? THat's harder then being a stay home mommy