Motherhood
The price of motherhood comes at a great cost. Women are very much at the center of their children's upbringing. It is even more so today, where, according to Ann Crittenden's The Price of Motherhood, "among women in their thirties, by far the most common occupation is full-time housekeeping and caregiving" (17). This article points out many alarming facts about the disparity that involve men and women and children. She is right when she says that raising children has become synonymous for parenting, yet women are the ones who are really doing much of the work. I must concur with this because of my experience in my own family and with my friends'.
I recently stumbled upon a video that I found amusing titled "'The Motherhood' feat. Fiat 500L. Although this is a very obvious promotional commercial for the Fiat car, many of the facts that the mother in the video points out is very true. In addition, the fact that the paternal figure is never once mentioned or shown in this video shows how much work the average women in the Western world dedicates to her family and that men contribute very little (even in the 21st century). The video shows the mother as the main parental guide for her three children and how her life has changed. She claims, "Think I'd sell both kidneys just to get some rest.' Women are often playing several roles in their childrens lives, which can be seen in the way that she takes her kids to school, makes food, cleans the house and goes to work. The 21st century woman is becoming more and more powerful, a woman to look up to. The article finishes with a statement that Gloria Steinem once said, "We've become the men we wanted to marry" (26). This has become more and more relevant especially because of this video which shows the mother doing it all - being both a mother and a strong, independent career woman.
In fact, one study that Crittenden cites states that, "'despite and overall increase in the relative involvement of fathers, household activities, caring for infants, studying and reading (with children) remain domains in which fathers have a very low relative contribution... when a wife earns more than half of the family income, the husband will typically contribute no more than 30 percent of the domestic services and child care'" (24).
I recently stumbled upon a video that I found amusing titled "'The Motherhood' feat. Fiat 500L. Although this is a very obvious promotional commercial for the Fiat car, many of the facts that the mother in the video points out is very true. In addition, the fact that the paternal figure is never once mentioned or shown in this video shows how much work the average women in the Western world dedicates to her family and that men contribute very little (even in the 21st century). The video shows the mother as the main parental guide for her three children and how her life has changed. She claims, "Think I'd sell both kidneys just to get some rest.' Women are often playing several roles in their childrens lives, which can be seen in the way that she takes her kids to school, makes food, cleans the house and goes to work. The 21st century woman is becoming more and more powerful, a woman to look up to. The article finishes with a statement that Gloria Steinem once said, "We've become the men we wanted to marry" (26). This has become more and more relevant especially because of this video which shows the mother doing it all - being both a mother and a strong, independent career woman.
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