Why was it okay that back in the day (like 50s and 60s)?

Question

being a stay home mom was considered alright by society, yet now, its looked down upon?????
I dont get it!

Answer 1

Back then it was a sign of "masculinity" it was a symbol that a man could provide for his family so being a stay-at-home mom was encouraged by society. In those times only wives from very poor families worked... Another interesting bit of information is, in those times people would send their children to work before the women just to appear that they were doing financially well ~Princess~

Answer 2

Times change.

Women who went to work in large numbers in the '70's and in the '80's really thought that they could 'have it all'--a career and a family and everything would just go as smoothly as planned.

Unfortunately, life is seldom--if ever--so accommodating.

For years the mothers who chose to stay home with their children were made to feel as if they were wasting their lives and should go out and get a 'real' job. The pendulum had swung from "You're working outside the home when your husband is able to support you--you're horrible" to "You're NOT working outside the home--you're horrible".

The thing is, the whole purpose of the women's movement was all about CHOICE. Rather than society insisting that every mother be June Cleaver, we got guilted for not being Murphy Brown.

It seems to me that we're finally approaching something like a middle ground, where the choice to work or stay home is what it should always have been--something that people choose based on their own unique situation.

Answer 3

I don't find in Australia stay home mums are looked down on thank goodness. Being a mum is hard enough without having people look down on you. I think maybe partly to blame for this view is woman's lib. I am all for independent woman (hey I'm a single mum, that's pretty in dependant) but their is nothing wrong with a husband choosing to support his family while his wife stays home and does the most important job there is....raising human beings


it is also because of people like you saying stay home mums LEECH of their husbands. Maybe you didn't like the answers given to you with that question the other day and changed your mind ...but I don't think so. Decide whether you are against stay at home mums or all for it. Have you decided to be a SAH mum by any chance?

Answer 4

In my case it was the other way around... everybody in my boyfriend's family looked down on me for going back to work (even though I waited 5 months... I think that's a good maternity leave, I wanted to stay home longer but couldn't) I think it depends on the person... some people have it in their heads that if you're not working than you must be a welfare mom and that's not a fair assumption. I think that's why so many people look down on it. Instead of thinking that you may have budgeted and saved money so that you would be able to stay home for an extended period of time, they think the worse.

Hope that answered your question.

Answer 5

hey i am a stay at home mom who at times has felt like people were looking down on me but i really dont care the child care / day care centers where i live are really bad and have unreasonable ratios and i tried private baby sitting which a disaster (at least for me the sitter was a dealer using the house as a cover ) ( i know i am a idiot but she was so much better than the other 16 womwn we met before her) imagine my suprise when the cops came to my work to tell me we had been under survalance for a few months before they figure out what was going on i was shocked so after the longest ordeal of my life i stayed home ( i am 37 my daughter is 2 ) and we really did not think we could afford to but we laid out all the money we spent and it seemed if we cut out the things that wern't necessary we c0ould do it so we tried it and we only go out to dinner together once or twice a year and i shop at the good will ( for me and hubby kids get the best ) he never eats lunch out i always pack a lunch and cook alot ALOT ALOT but my daughter is an extradornary person ( we have 3 other kids who are all great but she is mucher than them by 10 years than the youngest ) this is by far the hardest job i ever had my other kids were in daycare by the time they were one due to finicial reasons .but this is the best thing i havge ever done so i could care less who says what and i do as i see fit hey i forgot to mention that we got rid of our second car and just use one not only is it good for the environment it adds lots of the paycheck too the bank account a little hard to get usto at first but worth it in the end

Answer 6

There are always gonna b people who look down on stay at home moms. I think that raising your kids and keeping your home in order is quite admirable. If you can afford it than why not be a stay at home mom. I guess some people have a problem with it cause they think that stay at home mom only do it cause society tells them that they have to be june cleaver or something.

Answer 7

i dont care who looks down on it b/c I personally think it is the most rewarding and respectable job out there today. I know of so many women who would give anything to stay at home with their babies but financially cant. They miss so much and dont get to see there children grow up before their eyes. I feel sorry for those who are not able to be stay at home moms. I wouldnt trade it for the world.

Answer 8

If you can afford to stay home and take care of kids, then it is a worthy job. Some people wish they had the choice, so I think it is just envy that prompts SOME people to act like there is something wrong with you. Sometimes SOME might criticize before they are criticized, like they don't want for you to even think they are neglectful.

The short of it is that if you have the opportunity and financial situation to stay home, then take it, and don't mind the criticism. Criticism reflects on the one critcizing more than on the one being criticized; so, you do what you have to do for yourself and your family despite other opinions.

Answer 9

Where I live it's not looked down upon. Many working moms wish they could be stay at home moms but they have no choice but to work cause of todays crappy economy.
I'd love to be a complete stay at home mom but can't.............had to get a part time job but I still get to be with my kids a lot.

Answer 10

I was a stay at home mom for a while one of the toughest jobs there is but also most rewarding saw a show on t.v. said stay at home dad's had 80% higher risk of heart attacks.