My take on stay at home moms/wives

"What would like to do in life"

"At some point, i want to get married, have kids, stay at home and look after my kids, cook and bake for the family and go for Sunday brunches..etc"

"WHAAAAT!?!?" Followed by laughter...

The whole women's lib thing has obviously done a good job to the point that now when a college graduate possibly hints that she would like to be a stay home wife/mother, people laugh, as though they've heard a joke. Well, they have no reason to think someone would actually be serious about something like this. Why would anyone in their right mind, after spending 3-4 years getting a decent undergraduate degree with ample opportunities waiting for her out there, be willing to spend the remaining 40 odd (approximate) years of employable life at home, tending to the house? Also, given the economic realities of today, it makes more sense when the man and the wife are both earning to support the family and pay off the many loans (education, housing, etc). It makes sense for every capable woman out there to work and make money but have we become so obsessed with the "career woman" image that what once used to be quite common and traditional amongst our own mothers, grandmothers, etc has now become a joke?

Nothing wrong with being a career woman, nothing wrong with juggling a career and a home, and likewise, nothing wrong with wanting to make your household a career choice. In fact, it is probably as hard or even harder managing a household. Also, a career is only valued till the balance between the house and the job is maintained. Once the scale starts tipping in either direction, chances of jeopardizing either one are high.

Ofcourse, we must be grateful to technology as well as flexible workforce policies that have been implemented in many companies which have given women the opportunity to have businesses staying at home, freelance, short-term or even part time jobs.

At the end of the day, what all of us need to realise is that being a housewife/stay at home mother is a noble profession indeed. Here, ofcourse i am talking about typical households. Talking care of a lazy husband, doing the cooking/or at least attempting, laundry, taking care of the little one(s), cleaning, grocery shopping, amongst many other responsibilities which could differ from house to house, she probably works harder than many career women and hey her 23 days of annual leave are not even guaranteed okay! And two key requirements of this job; sacrifice and patience.

I conclude by saying, priorities change as your life changes. Whilst many of us girls who are just starting out in our careers cannot imagine the settling down aspect of our life yet, as we get into our careers and start moving up that corporate ladder, it is important we get our life into perspective and make wise decision that involves placing our loved ones/family as a key factor in the decision making process. We definitely do not want to end up as old maids with lots of money