|
Note: A while back I started a three part series and never got the second part posted because of a car accident. Here is part two. You can look at the archives for part one. As women how have we become so disconnected from our homes and our families? With in the last two generations we have departed from our role and place within the home in search for challenges and opportunities within the workplace. So let's take a look at the cultural changes that have occurred during that time. With the rise of the time women spent our of the home, convenience foods were required. No longer was there time for a baking day, so we bought those items. Manufacturers were successful in pumping these products full of cheap flours and sugars and fats, and we liked them and we bought more. Why not introduce cheaps cuts of meats and other fillers and sell them to us as complete meals. Cheap meats and fillers replaced the small local speciality markets that scrutinized the quality of foods provided to their clients. Feed lots and mega farms flourished. Women could now spend even more time away from home. Kids could be put in daycare and an entire work day or even more could be scheduled in. We were away from our homes and our children and divorce rates rose. Now we had to work and we needed even more convenience items and shopping malls and mega stores so we could get it all done. The cost of all the convenience was costly. We needed to work more, in more demanding jobs that required our thoughts and attention when even at home. Of course our children were confused and disobedient because of the inconsistency they experienced between home, school, and day care. Of course as they got older there was no care at all and they hung out with friends at those malls that were so convenient. As our children became more and more out of control we no longer enjoyed them and found ways to spend less time with them. We created soccer, gymnastics, language lessons, tutoring, karate, music lessons, etc, etc. Now we could pass off our children to others to manage even on evenings and weekends. After all we were enhancing their opportunities so they could get in to better colleges and get better jobs. We installed video players in our cars so they could be entertained at every moment and we could be focused on other things. And don't forget our voluntary introduction we gave our children to extreme violence in their own homes as we gave them video games to fill up those few spare moments left. Lessons cost money and so do the clothes everyone is wearing. Our kids were costing more and more money, but after all it was worth it. We were doing it for them. Their lives were better for the effort we were putting in. We worked harder. Were there any consequences? The change in eating habits in the mid-20th century brought with it extreme increases in chronic disabling diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. These diseases are now requiring an increase in the care we will be needed to provide our parents as they age. They have undoubtedly also contributed to the rise in childhood afflictions that affect behavior and health. The increase of divorce rates has created stress and chaos for our children and fathers have become less involved in their children's lives as they are often not in the home. At the same time our children needed them even more as they were exposed to greater amounts of violent images and peer pressure. We over-scheduled and under-parented as an excuse for our choices. Lest you say how dare she lecture, let me say this. I work full-time outside of the home. I don't have a choice at this time, but I hope you see my heart. I have made the best choices possible given the circumstances. I make time to cook from scratch, I keep activities to a minimum, I home school as possible. We try to be as family and home focused as possible. However, there are those moments I wonder if I can keep it up. In part three I'll share some thoughts on how we break out of this cycle and find our place in our home and with our family.
|
Comments
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by