Personally, I don’t like the statement “women pay other women for care work”. I think it adds to that idea of “women’s work”. _Parents_ pay other people for carework. I truly see that what is spent on caregiving is done by both partners, not by the one who is “supposed to be” the caregiver.

Another comment I have is that there are people who work not just because they feel they have to earn money to keep up with the Joneses (I am one of those). I (usually) really like my job and my coworkers. I do feel that if I had a full-time job I would miss much of what I enjoy in life, but that doesn’t mean I should give up my work. For me, I am trying to find a good balance. (And I’m alwys shifting the fulcrum of my balance!)

I really appreciate the civility of this discussion. So many blogs out there, the people don’t try to see each other’s point of view and just end up in finger-pointing name-calling. That kind of discussion is NOT going to help me see another point of view and take it into consideration.

So I hope that you understand that I am not attempting to minimize your point of view, I working to understand it and to see how and where mine might need to be altered.

Okay, I’m working through some insomnia and a horrible sinus cold, and I’m not going to even begin to fall asleep until I write one more, possibly feeble, attempt at connecting my story with your points to ponder . . . LOL!

Here was my hubby, who was living the successful “money earning” life that the world values, being jealous of the “lowly housewife/mother” for her life she was carving out within the home. He felt like he was just feeding the “machine”, and I was nurturing the world’s most valuable assets: our children. (Again, he isn’t interested in my role in the home, but would love the opportunity to be a cog in the “cause for good in the world” versus the corporate machine :-))

This then feeds into the other idea you pulled out of the book:

*”She goes on to say that this clouds the real issues that women (and men) face in regards to unpaid “care” work and paid “career” work. If we can work together to find better solutions, we will all have better lives.”

as well as the idea that Susan put out there about women paying women to care for their children (care work) while they work (career work).

So, in my opinion, instead of looking for solutions within the “career work” paradigm, I would love to see solutions created for the unpaid “care” work of raising our own children. I could really throw my hat into a paradigm shift toward laws that support our giving greater value to what should be our most treasured assets: our children!

Thanks for the good opportunity for me to think about these things, Moonshadows!

First, I definitely want to emphasize that what I wrote in my post in no way was trying to minimize your concerns! It simply prompted a memory that was poignant to me and I felt others might be enlightened by it as I had been when I realized the “blessed” position I was in as a woman in this information age.

Second, admittedly, I have not been a person of high political intelligence or savvy. I have left that arena to my hubby, who can keep up with the ramifications of social and political decisions. I admire and rely upon those women, like you, who have a strong bent and interest in the same to help speak for me, as I simply throw my hat in behind their activism.

So, thank you for thinking deeply about the topic! Unfortunately, or fortunately, however it turns out, I tend to figure things will work out for me by my sheer “can do” attitude if something catastrophic, or not so, occurs in my life. I also have a deep trust in our generation of parents and women that each person of their own passion and skill will affect positive change for the benefit of all. My particular bent has always been toward educational information and change and I have a deep desire to desseminate good information in this regard as my contribution

May we all work together in our singular gifts to benefit all mankind! Hurrah! (Oh goodness . . . my idealism is really showing . . . LOL!)

Some people are willing to take those risks. But I believe that we should not be put in a position that forces us to choose to either work full-time or take those risks. Your opinion may be different on this last point, and that’s fine, but I do believe mine has some merit as well.