Are working mothers more deserving of respect?

Yes I respect them more. I admire that they are able to strike a balance between caring for their children and increasing the household income so their child has more opportunities.

My mother has always been a stay-at-home mum. Fair enough, if my dad had a high wage, they could've afforded one of the parents staying at home to look after the kids, but he didn't. He was, and still is, on a low income and my mother did barely anything to help our finances (I genuinely believe that I was brought up by the state rather than my parents)

While for my parents' situation, the blame could be pointed to cultural and religious norms (men are breadwinners and women carers) I hate the fact that my mother never just thought to stop complaining about our financial status and go out there and do something about it.

Even then, she tries to put it in my head that the only role for me is to be a housewife, but I'm not listening

Thanks for your post,

Did your dad ever encourage your mum to work? Or how do you think he'd have reacted if she said she wanted to find a job

I read this article last week about how children of working mothers are more likely to be successful than those of stay at home mothers(I'll try to find the link later). By no means am I judging stay at home mothers-I think all mothers who do their best to raise their children are deserving of respect. However I want to know whether you respect your mother more because of her ability to juggle both work and home life? And to females whose mother did not work, do you feel less motivated to hold a job and would rather become a full time housewife?

My health (mental and physical) was adversely affected by the fact I had a working mother. They have my respect in one sense, but balance is key

I respect stay at home mothers more, because they put raising their children over their career and the children will implicitly know this.

Yes I respect them more. I admire that they are able to strike a balance between caring for their children and increasing the household income so their child has more opportunities.

As someone whose mother stayed at home, I disagree. I don't feel that my mum 'put her children over her career', I think she very happily stayed at home and let my dad pay for everything for years. I also think mothers who work are setting a better example to their children.

You have no idea what sort of balance they're striking. They might be striking a wonderful balance, or they might be striking a thoroughly shitty balance and neglecting their kids.

If anything I think it's admirable to leave your career aside for the sake of your children -- if you can afford to do it.

edit: Of course, it could also be admirable to balance the responsibilities, in a particular situation.

It's too simplistic to say one or the other is deserving of more respect as a generality imho.

As someone whose mother stayed at home, I disagree. I don't feel that my mum 'put her children over her career', I think she very happily stayed at home and let my dad pay for everything for years. I also think mothers who work are setting a better example to their children.

I think the way we see things depends entirely on our experiences

Working mothers are scum. Anything that compromises the maternal/child bond and the maintenance of the home is an abomination. Centuries of biological adaptation have created the gender roles that we have; men are hard wired for the rough and tumble of the workplace and women for the softer maternal/domestic skills. Women strutting around offices is bad news for everyone, not least the women themselves. After graduation is the time when women depart from the professional scene and commence their reproductive duties, save for exceptional circumstances when the children are older but even then it is still the duty of the husband/ in-laws to ensure her physical wellbeing.