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From: zubbie@ihlpl.UUCP (Jeanette Zobjeck)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Who's watching the kids?
Message-ID: <219@ihlpl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Jul-85 22:28:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpl.219
Posted: Mon Jul 15 22:28:13 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Jul-85 07:11:53 EDT
References: <593@mtung.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 54

> >> I think the best solution would be for both partners
> >> to take turns (a year or two each, at least until the
> >> child gets into nursery school or something).  
> 
> >Unfortunately not all of us can take a year or two off and not risk 
> >spending another year obtaining another job.
> 
> Unfortunately, MOST OF US can't take a year or two off and not
> risk spending another year obtaining another job.  (Women too!) So what!?
> -- 
> Julia Harper

Today none of us men or women can afford to take a year or two off
either for economic or profesional reasons. 
If the decision to take time off from work is determined by reasoning
that the woman will naturally be the one to lose the time  (and it is
a professional loss) than we have a defacto set of rules which 
discriminate against women (even if these rules ever see ink and paper).
Any man who can use this kind of arguement or who allows this reasoning to
shrug off a responsibility he voluntarily created is guilty of working to
maintain the very discrimination which has kept women ** in the kitchen **
for so many years (generations).
I have heard and seen many examples of just this kind of reasoning and
many good and valuable people (all women ) have been removed from the
work force. When at last theyare able to return they are so far behind
that they have one of two choices:
	1) give up and go back to the home and be good little
	housewives.

	2) Study like hell to catch up only to find that they are
	now also battling an issue of age as well as sex.

Julia goes on in her posting to urge women to throw off the burden
imposed on them to put the child before themselves. She forgot one
other thing which is to urge men to assume it.
I belive that if more men were to act on the belief that they had a
part inthe childs birth and so also have a responsibiltyto see to the childs
up-bringing the societal pressures to leave it all to women would begin to
diminish.
I know several men who would jump at the chance to be house-husbands
the only reason they have not is because peer pressure and pressure from 
the work place have made it extremely difficult. There are men who have
taken this step and most of them seem to have found an inner balance
which allows them to admit they feel realy good about it eventhough
their friends, neighbors and professional associates try to make them feel
that they are less than "manly" for it.
To these men goes my respect and admiration to those who back down from
the same pressure goes my disdain .




-- 
Jeanette Zobjeck ihnp4!ihlpl!zubbie