Thursday, February 19, 2004
Childcare Notes and Links
A quick note before I run downtown to beg my way out of jury duty. That should take all day.
Russell Arben Fox writes on liberty at the expense of servitude.
Maud Newton finds it ironic that Flanagan is making a name for herself writing on motherhood, when she pays someone else to do the mothering.
Barbara Ehrenreich's letter in Slate which ticked me off so badly last night is worth rereading. Not because I agree with it, but because it makes for interesting debate. From her letter, I learned that daycare is good, but nannies are bad. Feminists have completely given up on getting the husbands to do more. And given up on the goal of both parents being involved in their child's development. Nobody wants to change the diaper genie, so let's have the government pay someone else to do it.
Some added thoughts before I start getting lots of hatemail. I don't know what the right thing to do is. Some people seem to be paying their nannies fairly and have found good childcare where they feel that their children are happy and safe. They have no guilt on either front. Others are very satisfied staying home with their kids, and are proud of the work they do at home. The difficult part is everybody in between. Those who worry about childcare and who also want a career. Flanagan seems to be in that guilt ridden middle group. She writes that a child needs its mother, but she has hired a nanny. I do like that she shows her ambivalence about those choices, because I think most people are torn by those decisions.
A quick note before I run downtown to beg my way out of jury duty. That should take all day.
Russell Arben Fox writes on liberty at the expense of servitude.
Maud Newton finds it ironic that Flanagan is making a name for herself writing on motherhood, when she pays someone else to do the mothering.
Barbara Ehrenreich's letter in Slate which ticked me off so badly last night is worth rereading. Not because I agree with it, but because it makes for interesting debate. From her letter, I learned that daycare is good, but nannies are bad. Feminists have completely given up on getting the husbands to do more. And given up on the goal of both parents being involved in their child's development. Nobody wants to change the diaper genie, so let's have the government pay someone else to do it.
Some added thoughts before I start getting lots of hatemail. I don't know what the right thing to do is. Some people seem to be paying their nannies fairly and have found good childcare where they feel that their children are happy and safe. They have no guilt on either front. Others are very satisfied staying home with their kids, and are proud of the work they do at home. The difficult part is everybody in between. Those who worry about childcare and who also want a career. Flanagan seems to be in that guilt ridden middle group. She writes that a child needs its mother, but she has hired a nanny. I do like that she shows her ambivalence about those choices, because I think most people are torn by those decisions.
