honoringmotherhood.com
This post is about my favorite aspect of the online world. It is not meant to seem ungrateful for all the amazing privileges of the Western world. Nor is it meant to depress the moms who are paddling for their lives (though it is unlikely that these ladies have any time to read this post). My desire is to get people thinking about new paradigms that honor our feminine essence.
In a nutshell, women and men can run side by side in the workforce just fine as long as there are no kids. Once the baby arrives (and it will arrive for most of us) we are biologically compelled into two very different directions.
Most men will become laser about working so they can provide while most women will feel an un-severable pull to create a loving home for her child. Since managing a healthy home ultimately has no end of the day, adding a forty hour work week will undoubtedly dim a woman’s light. It is the rare mother who does not wish she could work less.
Some argue that the two income household is simply a result of current U.S. economics ignited by women’s desire to enter the workforce. Whatever the root, it disregards a mother’s physical and emotional capacity, which is one of the most important aspects of human life to safeguard.
I know many women who don’t have to work, and many who have created careers and have chosen employers that are highly respectful of motherhood. However, most women are working their asses off (72%) while caring for their homes and families. There are few who twirl these demands on the tip of their finger. Getting through the day is intense.
Going back to single income households is not an option for most. Besides, working is a creative outlet that makes mommydom survivable. The ideal situation is twenty flexible hours per week that are highly creative and lucrative. In my observation, the online phenomenon presents an exciting time to redefine the career paths of women. Instead of raising our daughters to pursue a forty hour work week, what if we encourage them to create passion-centered livelihoods that support and enrich their inevitable feminine needs?
If you are interested in the possibilities of the online phenomenon, then you must know and follow Naomi Dunford of ittybiz.com. She is an extraordinary online voice and created “Itty Biz” so that she could be home with her son.
Don’t get me wrong, establishing yourself online takes some major tenacity, but so does motherhood.
