Phew !! Its been 4 long years since I penned down anything on this blog. Having gone through a life changing event in 2012 ( I became a mom,yay !! ) , the past few years I ceased to be an individual and was just a mother 24x7. The first few years were tough juggling with new responsibilities but now as he gets more independent, I get more time to do things I loved to but never got on my priority list - blogging being one of them. I did maintain a mother's diary diligently for the past 4 years though.
I had initially decided to take a year long maternity break and resume my career having found a good daycare / some other arrangement to take care of my kid. That didn't happen and the career break got extended. During all that time I was literally pissed off with the fact that the world is really mean to career oriented women. Why is it that parenthood is largely a mother's responsibility ? The father is still considered the bread earner for the family and he continues to build his career without anyone raising an eyebrow. I see so many guys working extended hours with hardly anytime for their family. They don't participate in crucial kids activities - getting homework done, getting the kid ready for school, attending activities in school etc. Then there are guys who are not even around when the baby was born, the mother is largely supported by her family during the nascent stages and a few who are in a different continent itself, cut off from the daily responsibilities.
To give credit, there is a new evolving breed of guys who really stand by their spouse to resurrect her career. Feels good to see a few celebrity stars take a paternity break from work to help raise a kid. I truly admire Sriram Nene - he is a well established surgeon in the US ; he left all of it behind to move to Mumbai just so his wife Madhuri Dixit could give her career another shot. Even in our apartment complex in Mumbai there were a few kids who had nannies at home to take care / were in daycare while the parents worked. This could not be possible without the backing and mutual support of both parents. Well nannies/ family day cares in Mumbai (or India) come with their own problems. But when such issues arise, the finger is always pointed at the mother - how heartless could she be to prioritize her career over the kid ? Nobody every points a finger at the father for things not working out.
And I have not got started with the household chores yet - why is it a predominantly female responsibility ? Cooking , cleaning , running errands etc are not rocket science - if one gives it a try , they are completely doable things. I admire the male homemakers in US / other advanced nations - need guts to take a backseat and let the spouse advance in her career. Would take ages for such acceptance to get into mainstream.
I really fail to understand why we can't just get past this gender bias ? We were conceived without a gender - just a different chromosome should not get dinged for a lifetime. Give equal career opportunities to grow, take turns with career breaks, be an equal contributor to household stuff and viola - we have a society where all individuals are treated equal irrespective of which organs they carry in them.
I had initially decided to take a year long maternity break and resume my career having found a good daycare / some other arrangement to take care of my kid. That didn't happen and the career break got extended. During all that time I was literally pissed off with the fact that the world is really mean to career oriented women. Why is it that parenthood is largely a mother's responsibility ? The father is still considered the bread earner for the family and he continues to build his career without anyone raising an eyebrow. I see so many guys working extended hours with hardly anytime for their family. They don't participate in crucial kids activities - getting homework done, getting the kid ready for school, attending activities in school etc. Then there are guys who are not even around when the baby was born, the mother is largely supported by her family during the nascent stages and a few who are in a different continent itself, cut off from the daily responsibilities.
To give credit, there is a new evolving breed of guys who really stand by their spouse to resurrect her career. Feels good to see a few celebrity stars take a paternity break from work to help raise a kid. I truly admire Sriram Nene - he is a well established surgeon in the US ; he left all of it behind to move to Mumbai just so his wife Madhuri Dixit could give her career another shot. Even in our apartment complex in Mumbai there were a few kids who had nannies at home to take care / were in daycare while the parents worked. This could not be possible without the backing and mutual support of both parents. Well nannies/ family day cares in Mumbai (or India) come with their own problems. But when such issues arise, the finger is always pointed at the mother - how heartless could she be to prioritize her career over the kid ? Nobody every points a finger at the father for things not working out.
And I have not got started with the household chores yet - why is it a predominantly female responsibility ? Cooking , cleaning , running errands etc are not rocket science - if one gives it a try , they are completely doable things. I admire the male homemakers in US / other advanced nations - need guts to take a backseat and let the spouse advance in her career. Would take ages for such acceptance to get into mainstream.
I really fail to understand why we can't just get past this gender bias ? We were conceived without a gender - just a different chromosome should not get dinged for a lifetime. Give equal career opportunities to grow, take turns with career breaks, be an equal contributor to household stuff and viola - we have a society where all individuals are treated equal irrespective of which organs they carry in them.
