Staying At Home

My brother shared an interesting article from artofmanliness.com the other day. Most of the article has to do with social norms and one's response to them, but there was a parenthetical quote that caught my attention:

"People often talk about women being stay-at-home moms as the most natural thing, but there can hardly be anything more culturally unnatural than a woman, separated from family and friends, alone with her baby day after day."

Considering that perception of a "stay-at-home" mom, I think I'd flee motherhood, too! But "staying at home" while mothering is hardly confining oneself to Baby's sphere. I have yet to attain motherhood, but I did live with a stay-at-home mom (hi, Mom!), and I can assure you, she probably would have spent more time at home if she could have. Rather, she was herding her ducklings (four of them) around, to lessons and performances and museums and classes and relatives and friends, and generally doing anything she could to expand our world and benefit us. I want to be that kind of mom. I've confined myself to corporate schedules and locales before, and would much rather have the freedom of "home-bound" life. All this depends somewhat on my family's ability to live within our means, and the lion's share of that burden will, most likely, rest on the father. But, you know, he doesn't necessarily have to restrict himself to corporate
demands, if he builds his own business...

Disclaimer: The original article had nothing to do with parenting and everything to do with social norms. This phrase caught my attention because I am female and am drawn to feminine topics, not because I think the author was wrongly judging another's lifestyle. Please don't judge the website because of my analysis of one phrase :-) The little I've read seems intriguing and beneficial, it's just that I'm not a man, so I find it more amusing than otherwise.

Also, apologies for my lack of online presence. Jake, my trusted computer of five years, has a weak connection somewhere in his logic board. I'm looking for a replacement. Let me know if you want computer parts, and/or if you are selling a Macbook :-)