Response To Belkin

     In "The Opt-Out Revolution," Lisa Belkin is describing how some women chose to leave their careers in order to be housewives. She argues that for women, they can use their motherhood to escape the workplace and that for some women, being with their children is more important to them than moving up the corporate ladder.

     As described in the F-Word, there is an issue with the workplace. The issue is that work and family are pitted against one another in such a way that some women can't afford to do both. For example, some jobs do not offer childcare at the office. For some mothers, they can't afford to pay for child care, and others simply don't trust the daycare system and would rather stay at home to ensure the children's safety.

     Another issue raised is that men don't have a good work environment when it comes to wanting to raise a family either. The difference between this issue with men and women is that since women are expected by society to be the "nurturer" and men should "provide for the family," there is less ability for men to leave their jobs gracefully to take care of the household. Also, since women are the ones who carry the children, they can use "pregnancy leave" and may or may not ever return to the job, as Belkin argues. 

     As a child of a parent who opted out and later went back to work, I say if a woman wants a career, she should not take a break for a child's sake because she could wind up blaming the child for missed opportunities. By pleasing herself and making herself happy, a woman's children will in turn be satisfied with their place in her life.