One of the things that I also miss from home is being up to date on what is going on in Television. It´s not a big deal really, but sometimes I miss out on these little gems that get people all riled up. Who would have thought that a reality show about soccer moms would get people all excited?
I have not seen the show. I have only read a Newsweek article on it. I have also looked up the show´s website. On that website they even have a discussion forum where people are writing in and venting. There is also a little video on the show.
The idea of the show is that they pick a Stay At Home Mother that has been out of the workforce for some time and land her a job. Meanwhile, the show sends a "SWAT team of three ponytailed model types clad in black to cook and clean while she's scoping out the job". At the end of the week, she either gets a job offer or is canned and she has to decide what to do.
There seems to be two very opposite camps shouting out their views on this topic. The SAHMs (Stay at home moms) are insulted that the show is expressing a point that your life is not complete unless you go back to work. The working mothers are insulted at the idea that you can only be a great mother if you stay at home.
While both those view points are extreme and wrong, I don´t know if the show itself is actually expressing either of them until I see it and judge it for myself. Knowing some of the past shows that I have seen on TLC I would be surprised if they only show one side of the argument.
This is also interesting to see from the outside. I mean, from living in Argentina. We, as a couple, got to try both experiences. We started out our business from home when our first daughter was born so we got to see a lot of her. We loved that experience. As the business grew, and we were blessed by a second child, we could not be around the second one as much as with the first one.
The culture here is very family oriented. You see your family all the time, not just during the holidays. Also, here, children are welcomed just about everywhere. If you are pregnant you don´t get to wait in line for anything and you also get preferential parking spaces assigned to pregnant mothers. People will give up their seats on the subway and buses for you. This is a very child friendly country. Leaving your child in the care of others here usually means leaving them with the grandparents or other relatives.
Still, it would be interesting to hear from local Argentines what they think of this subject.
Would it be wrong for a mother to leave her children at home, in the care of others, to get back to work?
Do you think that you can only provide the best possible upbringing if you stay at home and decide to work on your family as opposed to a career?
Of course, these arguments apply mostly to families who are in a position of choice. If you have to work, because otherwise you will not be able to provide for your family, then these arguments are pretty much useless, daydreaming exercises for the wealthier-than-you.
However, if you have the possibility of choosing to stay at home or going to work, then you´ve got some thinking to do, or some television to watch, and see what some moms decide to do with their lives, and their family´s life, after a week of trying out a job.
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