WOMEN: should they be home bound?

@punkix (658)
Philippines
October 3, 2008 3:15am CST
It has been an ideal scenario that MEN are the ones who provide for the family and the women are the ones who stays at home and handle the things inside the house; cleaning, taking care of the kids (if there are), washing the clothes, cooking for their jusband, etc. do you agree with this kind of set up that has been accepted as the ideal family?? or because of modernization, technology and liberation, this kind of set up inside the house does not anymore exist. what do you think?
4 people like this
17 responses
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
3 Oct 08
It was the ideal family for men not for women. Many women felt trapped and bored being stuck home all day. Some women are happy to stay home and have children but raising children is only until they go to school and then the wife is home all day bored out of her skull and wishing we had gone on to University and got her degree instead of getting pregnant. Silly idea. You are suggesting that half the human race should be condemned to mindless activities instead of using the brains they were born with or are you one of these guys who thinks that women are mindless creatures. How would you like it? Have you tried it? I know a number of men who have actually stayed home with the kids while their wife went back to work. By the way I am a woman who would have stayed home had I gotten married and had kids but it just never happened. I would have happily stayed home but I would not have stopped studying. I know there are still men who would love to see women cut out of the workforce and out of education because they cannot handle the competition. The thing that you fail to see is that it was the women who wanted out, they were the ones who fought for the right to lead a more meaningful life. They never gave up having children but they wanted more.
@punkix (658)
• Philippines
3 Oct 08
yes i know. but if my wife had to stop working, id rather give her a business to run (any of her choice), let her study, or do whatever she likes so she would be practically in the middle of things; coz having a business is more than just a career, its something else, yet you still get to hold of your time so you will be able to take care of things at home and with the kids. i think that would pretty fair in this kind of situation, dont you think so? hehehe thanks for posting :)
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
3 Oct 08
Yes the one thing I really hated about working was not having control of my time. I started to resent how much of my time they wanted and the stress started to get to me. If I could have found a way out of it I would have. The stresses started to get to me. I was fighting my employer to protect people's right to work part time to be flexible and yes they were women and some were sick but the employer had this bizarre view that any time off work was unproductive, leave was unproductive, flexi time was unproductive. They argued that the little bit of extra time you worked each day did not give them the productivity that they lost when you took that a day off. I am still angry about it. You cannot get blood out of a stone. If you push someone too hard they will crumble and fall apart and then be no use to you but the employer says they will just get someone else to do it. They do not care who they hurt or kill. The stress got to me and I knew I needed time off because they hated giving me time off, it became a war. I took my long service leave when I wanted it and they hated me for it but it was too late. I was ill in less than a year of that. I quit but the damage had been done and I have not been able to work for 2 years. I blame my employer but I cannot prove it. They took what I gave them and wanted more, too much was never enough. I found it hard just being a house wife and worker it would be so much harder with children as well and they don't care. They treat workers as expendable fodder and never seem to appreciate all they are given. That is so totally wrong.
@bbsr13 (4196)
• India
3 Oct 08
Hello,Punkix! I don't like women confined within the four walls.They are educated,technically qualified,why not they try their luck in the employment market.If they get employed the husbands should cooperate their wives in household works and child care.If not,don't educate the women and allow them to work only inside home.Gone are the days.today the women are competing with their male counterparts in every field and they are successfully discharging their duties.So let them go to earn their livelihood as their husbands.thanx.
@punkix (658)
• Philippines
3 Oct 08
yeah i pretty agree with that. its really different now a days. life has been more complex, more things to worry about, and women being able to do what men can.
@cripfemme (7698)
• United States
3 Oct 08
Some people have this arrangement and it suits them, but as no arrangement works for every kind of person or family (of course) it's important that it's not mandatory. Many woman like working. Many men enjoy parenting. Hence, we find Mr.Moms. I say do whatever suits you, never mind society's expectations.
@syankee525 (6261)
• United States
4 Oct 08
well women can be the money maker, make more then men, i used to be a stay home dad after i got hurt. i did all the cleaning, cooking ect.. i didn't mind my wife was the bread winner of the family. my wife, sister, sister in laws are very educated females. i am the kind of guy who bleive women need not to count on men
@leahsfrog (120)
• United States
4 Oct 08
Ideal, depends on the family situation. To put the responsibilty of earning a living solely of the mans shoulders is asking a lot not to mention is not always feasible. It is expensive to run a household especially if children are involved and usually takes two or more incomes to keep a family afloat financially. I work outside the home and have been the primary income earner for 6 years of my 12 year marriage. We have six children and although my husband has a part-time job our children are always with one of us.
@arthi_88 (1516)
• India
4 Oct 08
I guess the scenario has changed a lot but not completely.As of should women be home bound?No they shouldn't be cause a family is both the wife and husband's so all the duties should be equally distributed and if not there isn't any adventure left in life... Every person should have the choice to decide whether he/she wants to stay at home or work for the family...
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
3 Oct 08
My wife and has been the breads winnier for many years. I have worked part time in the past though. I am now my fathjers caregiver so I cannot take even part time work. My wife has always been a workaholic actually. She works 12 hours a day 6 days a week now days. I am happy with it as is she. But of course she'd love to not work at all. But who'd pay the bills? HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
3 Oct 08
No I don't believe that women should be home bound. How can you ask them to stay at home if they have a professional job and have studied for a lot of time. Women can give a valid contribution in society.
@kerriannc (4279)
• Jamaica
3 Oct 08
Well in the olden days this would be the ideal thing but now with single parents it is not. Things and time has change and I think that the womenfolk has become more liberated. In those days when women were leave at home with the kids there were alot of abuse both verbal and physical. I believe in half and half. A family does not only want money and shelter it also wants love too. At times the males belief that the women at home is o.k. and they will provide the shelter, money but the kids also want time with the father's too. This sometimes does not happen. When both parents are providing then they will be able to schedule family times (at least the good thinking ones).
@TessWhite (3146)
• United States
3 Oct 08
What I've learned here in mylot is men typically start these types of conversations, simply to get a "rise" out of us women. And to get more responses. So there, I've given you a response. Are you happy? An NO women shouldn't be home bound. We are no longer living in the stone age.
@belk89 (1103)
• Philippines
3 Oct 08
I actually agree with that kind of setup since the kids can be discipline and molded into a better person when the mother is around. But with the current economic problem nowadays it is pretty hard to rely only of the husband. I believe that a woman can still be a housewife and a working mom at the same time. It still exist but there are changes that took place because wife nowadays also have work aside from taking care of there kids and keeping the house clean.
@rajueie (204)
• India
3 Oct 08
i dont think so....in this world...every body are equal....and every one has every right to work....and women are equally important as men.....they are working equally as men....women are very fast now a days....they are as equal as a a man....dont under estimate womnes....they are far more fast than men now adays....men to men competition has gone and more wommen are comin forward to work and we men are in a dangerous postion....u name the field ....women are there in any field....so frends....beware......dont thinkthis as a simple issue....everyone has equal rights....ofcourse we are all citizens of this world...
@stylioJ (403)
• United States
3 Oct 08
I don't think that was an ideal scenario for everyone. I think it really depends on the couple's relationship, their personalities, and the circumstances surrounding their lives. I could never be stuck at home as "just" a housewife, but I truly respect the women who do that. I imagine it isn't easy. I have to feel like I'm learning something, being challenged, and working.
• United States
3 Oct 08
I definitely don't think women should be homebound. If a couple is married or living together and they can financially afford to have one person at home while the other works, then, as long as both people agree, I fully support having one person stay at home. If both people want to work, then I think it's absolutely necessary that they be able to work. Particularly in this economy, i think that it's important for everyone to make the money they can and save it when possible. I think that it's important for women to be able to work. I think that when/if I have children, that I would like to be able to stay home or work from home or part time during the first few years of my child's life. My thoughts on this may or may not change when I do have a child, but for now it seems like a reasonable plan for me.
@Galena (9110)
3 Oct 08
I don't see why that would be condsidered the ideal. if one is to work and the other to look after the home, then whoever is able to earn the most, or more inclined to work, should be the one working. of course many households both of the couple work, and both of the couple look after the home when they return from work. this is what I would consider a normal scenario.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
3 Oct 08
I think it is ideal to have the Men as the breadwinner and the mother as the housekeeper but because of the difficulties of life, I can't blame some mothers who have to work in order to help the hubby with the finances. In such case, I believe both should help each other with the chores along with the children. And not because the mother is also earning means she could head the family... I believe the father remains the head and the mother is the Secretary and the Treasurer and the Muse as well! Ha!ha!ha!
@joy4you (641)
• India
3 Oct 08
I think a couple need to have a good understanding amongst them selves and not bind them selves to age old traditions about who does what. If both partners are earning the bread then both partners should also take equal share of the house hold responsibilities. I am not saying that there is no place for traditions in our modern times but that they need not always be followed rigidly. A lot of this still depends on the kind of society you live in and your upbringing, but if both partners understand each other then these should not be a problem.