[chefdave]

Despite the couple of decades' worth of propaganda we've been subjected to on 'equality' and 'positive discrimination' deep down wouldn't a lot of women much to prefer to be in the home raising children and performing necessary and often rewarding domestic tasks?

In their eagerness to spread the ideals of feminism are 'liberals' devaluing an important social role that has historically been the preserve of women?

There's absolutely nothing wrong with females wanting to stay at home raising children while the husband supports the family with a full time job.

[Classical Liberal]

(Original post by chefdave)
Despite the couple of decades' worth of propaganda we've been subjected to on 'equality' and 'positive discrimination' deep down wouldn't a lot of women much to prefer to be in the home raising children and performing necessary and often rewarding domestic tasks?

Is it an inconvenient truth that a woman's natural place is in the home?

Emboldened, I suspect is very true.

I should think it is true of many men as well.

[madders94]

If in the future my husband and I could afford it - we were living quite comfortably off his wage, for example, and didn't need to rely on anything else - I'd love to be a stay at home mother and housewife - maybe I'm old fashioned but I enjoy cooking and cleaning and I'd rather make sure that my children are looked after by me than having to get childcare in and have my children growing up seeing an Eastern European girl as their main caregiver and me as the one who pops in occasionally to make sure they're being good.

I would much prefer to stay at home and raise the children and make sure that the house is clean, safe and an enjoyable place to live in. Then again, I'd love to spend a year or two being a nanny/au pair so maybe it's just me being a domestic person rather than it being that most women would prefer this lifestyle.

[KJane]

Nope. The idea of being cooped up in a house all day every day cooking and cleaning would drive me nuts, it'd be too boring. I don't see why women should be relied upon solely to be homemakers. My Dad is a 'house husband' so I see no reason why men can't be relied on to do their bit too, for me, home duties should be shared.

[Craig_D]

It depends, some women are motivated in a career sense and can't stand being at home, others like the idea of being at home and looking after the family full time. I wouldn't say that the latter type of woman defeats the arguments of feminists, because they obviously don't want that or they wouldn't have been campaigning.

My own opinion is that every couple should talk and reach an agreement on how they are going to split employment and household tasks, and they do whatever is right for them.

[lil huni]

I think the notion may be true for some women, but certainly not for all. Then again, perhaps we should separate the ideas of 'being a housewife' and 'raising children' - I'd look at these as two separate ventures, which may be related but not inextricably intertwined. Not every housewife wants to be a mother, not every mother wants to be a housewife, and some women want neither.

[SilverArch]

It's not an inconvenient truth. Many women (and men) prefer to be at home, with or without children, and many prefer to be out working. Either way, it's fine.

Equality does not mean all women must do the same thing ie. have a career....it means all people should have the freedom to choose which path they prefer, whatever their gender is. A free decision to stay at home and be happy there, is an empowering decision. Being forced to stay at home is a different matter.

[Aisha~~]

Some preferring that lifestyle doesn't mean it's automatically the 'natural' way of things.

[TheGirlNextDoor]

(Original post by chefdave)
Despite the couple of decades' worth of propaganda we've been subjected to on 'equality' and 'positive discrimination' deep down wouldn't a lot of women much to prefer to be in the home raising children and performing necessary and often rewarding domestic tasks?

Is it an inconvenient truth that a woman's natural place is in the home?

Personally, when I am married I'd like to stay at home and raise my own children because children really need their parents' love and attention to have a full childhood

Also, I think women really set the home atmosphere and it would be nice for the husband to come home to his wife who is not all cranky from a hard day at work, but one who is willing to sit and relax with him and receive him warmly every day

I know quite a few girls who like the idea of caring for their husband and children and it isn't an easy job, but it is worthwhile

Some people feel their natural place is in the home and some feel they are more suited to the working lifestyle. It just depends on how they want to live their life and what they feel they can manage. I personally don't know if I could work at a job and come home around 5/6pm and have everything ready while dealing with the kids; I think it would be really hard

[Tokyoround]

I don't think it is necessarily about being a woman, more true about just being a parent. I can see myself in a couple years being a workaholic, flying all over the world meeting clients and treating my home as a hotel. I hate myself for it as it means i'll likely be a terrible father, trying to buy my kids happiness as I never spend time with them. In general though, I agree that men have greater aspirations than women.

[screenager2004]

No - that sounds like my idea of utter hell. SOME women prefer to be housewives, sure. But don't try and insult me and suggest that all women secretly want to be unemployed baby-pumping, glorified house-cleaners. Please.

[TheHistoryStudent]

I'm not really in a position to comment on what any large number of women want in terms of career choice, but I'd say it's very much down to the choice of the individual in whether they want to work outside, or inside the home.

The key thing is that either way, women shouldn't be discouraged/looked down upon whichever choice they make, at the end of the day, if they want to look after the kids and the house, then that's up to them. Aside from this, it's not even impossible for women who do this to have some kind of work either - my Mum for e.g. (since I'm an only child and old enough to attend university and hence can look after myself) also works as a Lollypop lady and mid-day assistant up at the local primary school on top of her house stuff...

[Dragonfly07]

If ALL women wanted to stay at home and raise kids, they wouldn't have campaigned so hard against their rights to other life options.

[TheGirlNextDoor]

(Original post by screenager2004)
No - that sounds like my idea of utter hell. SOME women prefer to be housewives, sure. But don't try and insult me and suggest that all women secretly want to be unemployed baby-pumping, glorified house-cleaners. Please.

We respect your view but that is also slightly insulting to the women who want to be homemakers

[AYO]

i certainly dont think its an "inconvinient truth" all women are different, you'll find that some actually enjoy having a career and working whilst others would love nothing more than to be a stay-at-home mum.

personally, i couldnt think of anything worse than being a "homemaker" as you put it. i find it quite limiting and feel like women can still have jobs as well as look after the children and all that domestic stuff. i mean whats the point of spending thousands of pounds worth of money on tertiary education if you're just gonna stay home and iron and clean?? (by no means am i looking down on people who choose to do this. if that what makes you happy, then good for you)

i definitely see myself working full time in an office in London when i'm older. im very career driven and enjoy working and i wouldnt even think about having kids until im financially able to support them. and even eventually when/if i have children i dont plan to give up my job. there are LOADS of women who continued working after having children and their kids turned out just peachy.
but at the end of the day, its an individual decision. so i think its a little patronising the way you've said it. i feel like as long as women have the freedom to choose what they want to do rather than being forced into it as a result of society then its all good.

[randomflag]

Some women do, some women don't. Some women change their minds.

[Annie72]

It's not a bed of roses you know, staying at home cooking, cleaning and raising kids!!.That's what I've done for almost 16 years, now my kids are getting older they need me less and less.As much as I enjoy it, I want to get back to being "me" again .


Staying at home day in day out is very monotonous......and can become very tiresome.

[The Socktor]

(Original post by chefdave)
Despite the couple of decades' worth of propaganda we've been subjected to on 'equality' and 'positive discrimination'

Like what? any examples.

(Original post by chefdave)
deep down wouldn't a lot of women much to prefer to be in the home raising children

So might a lot of men, but well, do you have any figures to prove this claim? Why not put a poll up?

(Original post by chefdave)
and performing necessary and often rewarding domestic tasks?

Welcome to the age of machinery.

(Original post by chefdave)
Is it an inconvenient truth that a woman's natural place is in the home?

Something tells me you're trolling... something doesn't just become an "inconvenient truth" as soon as it leaves your rectum. And if you're going to invoke appeal to nature then stop using a ****ing computer; it's unnatural.

[I<3LAMP]

Nope. The reality would be that I would HAVE to stay at home and play home-maker (for a while) but in all honesty I'll be yearning to get out of the house to get back into work.

[Beebumble]

Did I miss the point in history where all women began to want all the same thing?