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From: jdh@mtung.UUCP (Julia Harper)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Who's watching the kids?
Message-ID: <593@mtung.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Jul-85 13:05:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: mtung.593
Posted: Fri Jul 12 13:05:47 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jul-85 12:00:45 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 31

>> 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!?
It's this kind of logic that's used to convince women not to
go back to work for years!  To convince couples that it's not worth
the effort for the man and woman to take turns stopping work.

Typically the woman takes off first, because she bore the child/feeds
the child.  Then we get in the rut of the couple deciding not
to take that turn they'd talked about.  I think the taking turns solution
is a VERY GOOD solution.... but far too often the couple agrees ahead
of time, but when it comes to the change, the man isn't so interested
in giving up work, and the woman is too interested in not upsetting
the marriage, so they don't. Myself, I think I'd just go ahead
and get the job anyway and force the husband to decide between himself
and the baby.  Yep, I'd put me ahead of the welfare of the baby.  
Enough of this shit about the woman always having to choose between
herself and the baby!  I say to women... You choose yourself.  Let
your man do that choosing.  If he chooses to put the kid in a
day care center instead of quitting his job, let that be on his
head!

-- 
Julia Harper
[ihnp4,ariel]!mtung!jdh