Women Are Free to Make a Choice

“Toward the end of World War II,” reports economist Dr. Eli Ginzberg, “large numbers of wives entered the labor force. But the experts were sure that when peace came, the mothers would return to their traditional ways, leaving the work force to devote themselves exclusively to child-rearing, homemaking, and volunteer activities.” Time proved the experts wrong. The percentage of working wives and mothers kept on accelerating through the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. “Today,” he says, “about two out of every five women with a child under six are working at an outside job market, and are dealing successfully with responsibilities as parents, workers, and homemakers.”

It is easy, however, to understand the feelings of many mothers who refuse to work, mothers who quit their jobs to stay at home and devote their full time to raising children. Some women assume it is their sole responsibility as wife and mother to take care of their children, their husband and their home. They believe if they quit their job, they could devote more time and energy to being a good wife and mother than they could if they don’t. Many women like the freedom of being at home. They can do things they had no time for when they worked. They may read for an hour on a living room chair, take courses in tennis, dance at the neighborhood health club, walk around in the shops leisurely, or relax in the park on a nice sunny day without worrying about being late for work all the time.

Although many women choose to stay home and care for their families, increasing numbers of working mothers have made new lives for themselves outside the home. They like a life filled with an active, money-making job. Though very busy, they lead a full fruitful life. “We weren’t born with silver-spoons in our mouth,” one working mother says. “We want certain things for our family and we have to struggle to achieve them.” These women feel that their jobs make them more attractive and more interesting to their husbands. With the money earned by a working mother the family enjoys things they otherwise could not: a shiny new piano, a summer vacation on the famous resorts, an assured college education for the children. These mothers believe that carefully selected day-care centers, nursery schools or at-home sitters enrich the child’s life with experiences no parents alone can offer. Perhaps children have much less time with a working mother than they do with a mother close by all day long; but the quality of the time is what is important. In a single hour a thoughtful working mother can give to her child as much love and attention as a mother at home all the time can give to her child on a full day.

Because of the attention to women’s rights, many mothers who in the past might have felt trapped in their homes have seized opportunities to use their energy and potential in stimulating careers. Yet there are women at home who see their work there as more important than anything. The point on all this, as I see it, is that the society must be made to tolerate choices so that no one is locked into a hateful life simply because someone expects him or her to behave in a required way. People must be free to choose the lives which they believe are best for themselves and must have enough opportunities to change their minds if they make mistakes