Stay At Home Moms Devalued

[Calm]

To require something of you that isn't required of me is unjust.

But it would be required of you if you were asking for money from the government.

[bluebell]

To require something of you that isn't required of me is unjust.

Here I thought stay at home moms were working just like the ones who work outside their homes. But apparently not.

I assume that everyone who wanted public assistance would be required to meet the same conditions. That's perfectly just.

It has nothing to do with valuing mothers-it has to do with acknowledging that people have to deal with the circumstances of their lives. Even the church has requirements for receiving welfare which, people who aren't seeking assitance, would not need to meet.

I was on public assistance once (WIC) and as such i had to meet certain conditions or i wouldn't get it. I didn't say "how dare you make me do something that my rich neighbor who is also a mother isn't forced to do-that's so unjust!" I didn't say it because i realized they were completely just in the discrepency.

[Libs]

Have to say, I agree with you STS. Either we value motherhood as "work" or we don't. Can't really have it both ways.

[Calm]

If Mitt and Ann were not LDS, would this topic be classified as anything but political at this point?

Give the mods time to get out of church and then I bet it will be closed.

[bluebell]

Have to say, I agree with you STS. Either we value motherhood as "work" or we don't. Can't really have it both ways.

I don't know, it kind of seems like Heavenly Father has it both ways.

We know that motherhood is very valuable to Him, and yet we also know that when someone's circumstances require them, as a mother, to work outside the home, He doesn't always intervene so that they don't have to do so. Heavenly Father seems to require such women to do what they must to help support their families, despite how highly He values motherhood and how much He knows that it is truly work.

[Libs]

Perhaps, Heavenly Father does have it both ways and I'm not saying that women, who need to (or even want to) shouldn't work. I just think it shows a lack of valuing mothers work at home (taking care of the children) when politicians are, actually, willing to pay more of our taxpayer dollars, for "babysitters", when it may be more efficient and beneficial, to those children (and to society as a whole) to have their mother at home for awhile.

[Zakuska]

Give the mods time to get out of church and then I bet it will be closed.

How is discussing the value of motherhood and working a political issue?

[Zakuska]

But it would be required of you if you were asking for money from the government.

Not necessarily. Because the government giving money out says you have to be below a certian level of income to get the help.

[bluebell]

Perhaps, Heavenly Father does have it both ways and I'm not saying that women, who need to (or even want to) shouldn't work. I just think it shows a lack of valuing mothers work at home (taking care of the children) when politicians are, actually, willing to pay more of our taxpayer dollars, for "babysitters", when it may be more efficient and beneficial, to those children (and to society as a whole) to have their mother at home for awhile.

I honestly don't know what Romney's reasons were, but i'm wondering if he was thinking that he would give the family a better chance at recovery and a fullfilling future if the mother had the opportunity to gain a career. Welfare isn't meant to be a permanent solution of course, and helping a mother to develop a skill and self respect actually could, in certain situations, be more beneficial to the entire family (and the children) in the long run than paying for her to be able to stay at home.

[MorningStar]

Of course women have value when they stay at home, but their children also have to be supported if they are single moms. It's not realistic to expect the government to cover their expenses. Welfare is meant to be a temporary thing.

[Garden Girl]

Mom was a fairly new convert when my dad ran off and left us... (Mom had only a high school education of the 1930's variety and she was planning to marry my dad upon graduation so she took mainly Home Econ., English, History, etc so was pretty much "unskilled" to go out and find a job that would support us). Mom cleaned houses for several women. We were very poor.

Thank goodness for the Church Welfare program. For a short time the Church provided food, etc., and also helped mom find a better job as a receptionist in the doctor's office. Once she was established we went off of Church Welfare. In fact my sis and I were talking the other day that we didn't realize how poor we actually were because of the way mom took care of us. We were very happy.

Then, through friends my mom met the man that would become my stepfather... and change our lives forever... he eventually converted and we were sealed as an eternal family. Mom was able to be a stay-at-home mom, but she still cared for several children in our home to bring in extra income.

GG

[thesometimesaint]

GG:

My mom taught school in a one room school house in the mid to late 30's.

[Zakuska]

GG:

My mom taught school in a one room school house in the mid to late 30's.

Oh yeah. Well my mom went to a one room school house in the 1930s.

[thesometimesaint]

Just think, your mom could have been one of my moms' students.

[thesometimesaint]

Morning Star:

Not according to Romney

Romney’s book, No Apology: The Case For American Greatness, elaborates on this. In it, he argues that children of “nonworking parents” will be conditioned to have “an indolent and unproductive life:”

In some quarters, however, the American work ethic is waning. Some people devote themselves to find ways not to work. Some seem to take a perverse kind of pride in being slipshod or lackadaisical. In many cases, where our work culture has deteriorated, shortsighted government policies share a good part of the blame.

Welfare without work erodes the spirit and the sense of self-worth of the recipient. And it conditions the children of nonworking parents to an indolent and unproductive life. Hardworking parents raise hardworking kids; we should recognize that the opposite is also true. The influence of the work habits of our parents and other adults around us as we grow up has lasting impact.

[Zakuska]

Morning Star:

Not according to Romney

Romney’s book, No Apology: The Case For American Greatness, elaborates on this. In it, he argues that children of “nonworking parents” will be conditioned to have “an indolent and unproductive life:”

In some quarters, however, the American work ethic is waning. Some people devote themselves to find ways not to work. Some seem to take a perverse kind of pride in being slipshod or lackadaisical. In many cases, where our work culture has deteriorated, shortsighted government policies share a good part of the blame.

Welfare without work erodes the spirit and the sense of self-worth of the recipient. And it conditions the children of nonworking parents to an indolent and unproductive life. Hardworking parents raise hardworking kids; we should recognize that the opposite is also true. The influence of the work habits of our parents and other adults around us as we grow up has lasting impact.

I agree with Romney whole heartedly to a point. I site my earlier comment about my ex-nephew-in-law who would rather live off welfare than work and support a family. Of course Im not sure Romney's blanket statement and stereotyping is necessarily true, because I know a lot of rich/middle class people who have no work ethic either.

[thesometimesaint]

I'm fine with it too, but it is Ann Romney whom is objecting.

[Zakuska]

I'm fine with it too, but it is Ann Romney whom is objecting.

How so?

[LDS_RM]

I see this as an unfortunate attempt to make a rather insignificant point (insignificant in terms of political arena).

The Book Of Mormon teaches that Christ suffered all manner of pains and afflications so that He might know how to succor His people. A wealthy person who does not need to work outside the home for pay and who likely has not experience want for basic necessities, most likely will not be able to relate to a person who must make difficult choices about family, work, safety, etc.

While Ann Romney may not be able to relate to a single mother who must work two jobs to support her family....Ann Romney's lack of experience to relate to said single mothers has nothing to do with whether or not Mitt Romney is competant and qualified to be the President of the United States. The whole matter of Ann Romney means nothing as to choosing between President Obama and Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romneys blanket statements about welfare and who receives it is out of touch and insulting to those who by necessity are receiving a form of government support.

[Zakuska]

Mitt Romneys blanket statements about welfare and who receives it is out of touch and insulting to those who by necessity are receiving a form of government support.

And yet Mitts blanket statements are only echoing the church Welfare programs.

ie. A requirement to work at the bishops storehouse for a day in return for food suppliments.

[Pahoran]

bluebell:

I never said life was fair, but shouldn't we have "Equal justice under law"? I seem to remember that inscription on the US Supreme Court building. No, Romney wants to use the power of the state to force poor mothers into outside the home work. He wants to cut off aid to them if they don't get an outside the home job. Something about the Equal Protection Amendment comes to mind.

How, exactly?

Re the highlighted assertion: it's flat-out false. Romney doesn't want to "force" anyone to do anything. He proposes to withdraw welfare payments to which nobody is entitled from welfare-dependent (not simply "poor") mothers when their children have reached an age where they can reasonably be cared for by others. I cannot begin to see what is wrong with that.

You can't have it both ways. Either you value moms whether they work outside the home or you don't.

True enough. But "value" doesn't automatically mean "subsidise."

Regards,

Pahoran

[Anijen]

Interesting how we all can read the same text and get an opposite interpretation. Many different religions using the same book [New Testament] but, disagree among each other.

No Apologies is quoted for one view and the same quote is used to show a contrary view, hmm.

Something like saying; I do not watch football on Sunday, could be interpreted as;

• I am against football
  
• Football is of the Devil
  
• The tv stays off on Sundays
  
• I am too busy on Sundays
  

Many others interpretations.

IMO I think TSSS sometimes is a bit too hasty to dismiss Romney. It seems it is more of person political opinion for him. IOW IMO TSSS comes across as a biased non moving political partisan

I just noticed I used 3 acronyms in a row, maybe I could learn text speak

[MorningStar]

Morning Star:

Not according to Romney

Romney’s book, No Apology: The Case For American Greatness, elaborates on this. In it, he argues that children of “nonworking parents” will be conditioned to have “an indolent and unproductive life:”

In some quarters, however, the American work ethic is waning. Some people devote themselves to find ways not to work. Some seem to take a perverse kind of pride in being slipshod or lackadaisical. In many cases, where our work culture has deteriorated, shortsighted government policies share a good part of the blame.

Welfare without work erodes the spirit and the sense of self-worth of the recipient. And it conditions the children of nonworking parents to an indolent and unproductive life. Hardworking parents raise hardworking kids; we should recognize that the opposite is also true. The influence of the work habits of our parents and other adults around us as we grow up has lasting impact.

Is he talking about families where there are no fathers because their moms repeatedly let losers get them pregnant (and aren't even sure which loser got them pregnant) and receive no child support? Yes, those children would have no example of working parents. My husband used to work for an organization that subsidized home repairs for the elderly and low income people and he saw a lot of "hard working" moms doing nothing but watching Judge Judy all day in houses that weren't clean and he had to install a lock on some poor grandmother's bedroom door because her grandchildren were stealing from her.

If my husband dies, I will be a single mom and I will have to go to work. It's no one else's responsibility to support me and I'm sure I'll have constant struggles, but my kids needs to see that I make it work somehow instead of acting like I deserve things from others.

[MorningStar]

When did Romney say stay at home moms don't work?

[thesometimesaint]

Romney’s book, No Apology: The Case For American Greatness, elaborates on this. In it, he argues that children of “nonworking parents” will be conditioned to have “an indolent and unproductive life:”

In some quarters, however, the American work ethic is waning. Some people devote themselves to find ways not to work. Some seem to take a perverse kind of pride in being slipshod or lackadaisical. In many cases, where our work culture has deteriorated, shortsighted government policies share a good part of the blame.

Welfare without work erodes the spirit and the sense of self-worth of the recipient. And it conditions the children of nonworking parents to an indolent and unproductive life. Hardworking parents raise hardworking kids; we should recognize that the opposite is also true. The influence of the work habits of our parents and other adults around us as we grow up has lasting impact.