Stay-at-Home Moms: A Thing of the Past

Up until 50 or 60 years ago, staying at home to bring up the children, was expected of a woman. Factories provided jobs everywhere for the men. They were expected to work to support the family, and the mother had the valuable job of staying at home to bring up the children. 

There were exceptions when a woman did not have a husband, to provide for her and her children. That woman who had to work in order to care and provide for her children, was often looked down at as being a “bad” mother for neglecting her DUTY as a mother. She usually only could get domestic work that paid far less than a man would make. She was not admired for her courage. Society had a negative view of women who worked outside the home.

During WW2 women had to take over the jobs of men while they were away fighting the war.The entire country pitched in to build war weapons, and soldier needs and supplies. After the war the men returned to the factory jobs. Many women by then became in dependant with earning their own salaries. More women were staying in the work force.

Progress was booming and everyone was reaching for the American Dream. Women started to fight for equal rights.  women were going to college and going into professions that had been off limits to them in the past. The women’s movement led into educational rights that opened doors of opportunity for women. With the technical age, women sought their equality with men. With more materialism growing, and factories closing down, to ship overseas, families suddenly could not live on one pay check.

This put pressure on women to work outside the home, even if they wanted to be stay at home moms. It was like when they had to work outside the home to keep the war running. Women who were fortunate enough to have husbands or mates with decent paying jobs, still had the privilege to choose.  Women who stayed at home were now tossed into the negative light of not contributing to society. A mothers contribution had no value. Mothers who filed for welfare were despised and accused of being , “LAZY,” and living off the taxpayers.

The issue of stay at home moms has twisted and turned with the changes of the economy. The children are forgotten in all these changes. Children are not taught the same values that they learned and practiced when mom was at home. Children are left to fend for themselves, make adult decisions, and grow up too fast. That could be a reason for the state of affairs we are in with juvenile delinquency.