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So apparently I have a new part-time job and that is arguing w people online who think it’s ridiculous for women to sacrifice their careers and become fulltime caregivers in response to the Coronavirus restrictions. (Thread)
For starters, a lack of affordable, quality childcare has compelled families like mine to make difficult choices well before the virus.
We all do what’s best for our families, given the (shitty) set of options we see available to us.
I sacrificed my lesser paying career nearly three years ago to care for our firstborn. I’ve been a SAHM not by choice ever since. Being admonished by feminists for how this impacts my lifetime earning potential doesn’t help feed my family.
A parent needs help. Period. No one person can parent 24/7. Switching roles and expecting men to do all the unpaid labor is as unreasonable as foisting it on women. No one should have to “suck it up.”
Thanks to coronavirus restrictions, my husband is working from home. His employer has been forced to be more flexible and family friendly. Life is more manageable, and equitable. It’s been a blessing.
Similar to when I worked in the sex industry to afford my education, being a SAHM is me doing what I have to do to care for my family and it’s not easy. It’s a lot harder knowing I am misunderstood and belittled.
“Why doesn’t her husband step up and sacrifice HIS career?” Well, because in our case- as for many- we can scrape by on his income, but not mine. My husband would probably probably prefer this, but financially it was not a realistic option.
