Working Mom Controversy - Did it Hit a Nerve with You?
Comments by a democratic strategist that Ann Romney "never worked a day in her life" because she was a stay-at-home-mom has angered moms nationwide. How do you feel about it?
As the campaign season heats up, comments spoken off the cuff are sure to make people hot under the collar. An example of this surfaced this week when democratic strategist Hilary Rosen commented on CNN Wednesday night that Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, had "never worked a day in her life." According to USA Today, Twitter and other social network sites exploded on Thursday with angry stay at home moms weighing in. Rosen was forced to walk back the statement and apologize to Ann Romney. Even the president and first lady felt compelled to weigh in and defend stay-at-home moms after Ann Romney responded on twitter as well.
So how do moms in Loganville and Grayson feel? Is it hard work to be a stay-at-home mom or not really work at all? Stay at home dads feel free to weigh in here too!
When asked this question of the Loganville-Grayson Patch Facebook page, local moms had thoughtful responses, some of them stay-at-home moms and some of them working moms.
"I think it's a vacation when I stay home with my little one! I am a mom, work full time and go to school! Thats work! But I do it to set a good example for my children and to give them a better life without depending on someone else. I am all about independence," said Tiffany Mackendrick.
"I think it all depends on what kind of employee or stay at home mom you are. There are amazing hard working SAHMs and there are supermom employees.. both who get the job done and then extra. On the same note, there are lazy employees and lazy SAHMs too," was Amanda Allred's comment.
Laura Roush, however, felt that it is actually more work being a SAHM than actually "going to work."
"You are always at work early and you never get off work. It takes major sacrifice to put your life on hold to stay at home," she wrote.
Melissa Solomon felt it depends on what aids you might have to being that SAHM.
"I agree with Amanda and would also add that it depends on your financial status. Being a stay at home mom with resources to hire a cleaning person and nanny is not the same as a stay at home mom cutting coupons and living frugal," she wrote.
Although this was a political faux pas that was quickly politicized, it has re-ignighted the debate on which is more work, staying at home to raise the children or having a childcare providing and working outside the home.
What do you think? let us know in comments
Crystal Huskey
10:16 am on Friday, April 13, 2012
I need to look up her exact quote, but wasn't she referring to work as in employment, not physical work? It seems to be taken out of context.
Sharon Swanepoel
10:22 am on Friday, April 13, 2012
Crystal, personally I think she was trying to allude to the Romney's wealth, but it clearly backfired and was picked up as suggesting that even as a mom, if you don't work outside the home, you don't actually work. I was just really impressed that people in my Patch community are talking about it thoughtfully, not politically!
Susan
3:11 pm on Monday, April 16, 2012
It was definitely taken out of context. I was a stay at home mom to six kids so I know how offensive that statement can be. However, her statement was about women in the work force who have always had to deal with getting the job over a man, getting equal pay, and being subjected to sexual harassment. Those are not things stay at home moms have to deal with but are real to women who are employed outside the home. Too bad Hilary Rosen has been misunderstood. She is not only an employed woman but also a mom.