Who raises the leaders of tomorrow?
 

I post this thread partly due to what was discussed in the cartoon censorship thread. Who really raises our children? There was once a time that a young man went out into the world and got an education. Then he got a job and a wife. His wife would bear children and raise them with all the American values that we hold dear. The father would continue to earn money to feed, clothe, and house his family, in addition to helping his wife at every opportunity.

These days seem to be gone now. Very rare is the one income household. Now it seems like almost every mother works. How good is this for our children? How good is it that the leaders of tomorrow are stuck with a couple dozen kids under the care of a frantic day care provider?

This is not at all to say that day care providers don't do their jobs well. But can an outsider who has many children to look after really provide the care nescessary to raise a child?

I am also not saying that I am against women's rights. I am not saying that women belong in the kitchen. I am saying that ONE of the two parents needs to stay home and nurture the children. Traditionally it was the woman who did this. I believe this is because women are just naturally more suited to it. Women are generally more compassionate and less irritable (yes, a sweeping generalization...i realize that this is in no way representative of either all women or all men).

Now it seems that to get along a household NEEDS two incomes. I think that perhaps our families need to make the sacrifice and live on only one.

I think that's certainly a good idea. It's society's fault--society has made the 'need' for a two income household and the 'need' for nice houses and cars. Society has also caused the development of the good parenting skills to fall on the mother, when if the father was raised in that fashion, he'd probably be just as good.
So blame society..seems like that's the answer for a lot of topics.

Eh, I find it kind of funny actually. I had this talk with my fiance and who would stay home with the children (we agree with you that daycares, while nice, just can't provide the same type of care as a parent can) and while it is hard to get by on a single income houshold, there are lots of ways to still have 2 incomes and have atleast one parent at home. There are ltos of work-from-home programs and job opportunities that offer a lot of free time so its actually minimal work. Sure you don't make as much, but its still something you can do during their naps and what not...

but you have to be careful with that route, because sometimes you can get to work too much at home in the hopes of making more money. if that happens, and you are working hard while your child is awake, the child is no better (in fact possibly worse) off than in a day care.

true, there is defiantely a high risk, but as long as you are willing to tell your boss "no, I gotta take care of my kid," then you should be fine... but yea, definately make sure your boss knows your kids come first before they hire you, or do one of those "you're your own boss thingys" and show soem restraint, and you should be fine...

Westren society doesn't value child rearing, it is simple as that - it is an essential for a civilization to exists - women have been the ones to raise children and as a result were unable to work - If the man stays at home it isn't much different, and it is rather idiotic to suggest it's any better just because for once in history it is the man that the job is being forced upon - you are asking someone to do a much more important job (than what they would be doing otherwise) for no money. If the state funded quality child day care so that the parents can work and the child can be rasied in a manner which is appropriate - then prehaps everyone will be better off. I am not saying parents shouldn't spend time with there kids, just if you are expecting them to drop work entirally to nurture their kids until they are whatever age and do it without an external form of income or just having one of the parents (assuming there are two) working is unfair.

i just dont think that the government will ever be able to provide adequate child care. there is absolutely no substitute for having one parent always there and the other 'on call' so to speak. i think that people need to think long and hard about having children before they do. if they arent going to sacrifice the double income, or do something like napoleon suggested, then they dont need the responsibility of being a parent.

i wouldn't go that far. you can still have the situation with both parents working and still be there for the kid a lot. both of my parents work, but i still see them a lot. pre-school times are a bit different though. i was lucky enough to have great grandparents living down the street that took care of a me. kids, in my opinion, succeed a lot more substantially (not saying kids with a lot of support don't succeed) when they do it on their own or with less support. and when the kids grow into teenagers, they won't want parents around very much anyway.

I personally don't trust day cares. They are overpriced and put the child in an evironment in which they don't receive the attention they need.
Have you tried raising a family on one income from a mediocre job? Its damn near impossible to have any kind of housing or any kind of car on one income. With the american dollar as devalued as it is compared to the days of one parent works, one parent raises the children.

The majority of american's don't have nice, high paying jobs. We're stuck at Wal Mart and McDonalds.

I think Feuermachtspass is being more idealistic than realistic, you may be right that it is ideal to have one parent stay home to raise the child(ren) however as Druid mentioned.. even if that was the case the socioeconomic situation in the westren world will not allow for most people to do that.