It was a thinking about women’s status in my ESL writing class. It’s still true situation now.
It’s always a controversial topic whether women should or should not work full-time outside the home even when they have very small children. In the past, women didn’t work.
Their happiness depended on finding rich husbands. Their assignments were to bear children and take care of their husbands. In their world, there were only their husbands and children.
This is why women had very little social status in those years. Now, women can work outside, but most of them don’t want to work after they marry. I think women must have full-time work even if they have babies So that the family can be more solid, women can be more independent and children can learn responsibility for their lives.
The first and most important reason for women working is that they can understand other people. In other words, they can be reasonable people. We know couples should talk and understand each other. Men have struggled outside for their careers. They want to share their feelings and thoughts with their wives when they come home. In the meantime, if women work outside too, they can understand their husbands’ situation and thoughts. Then they know men’s feelings. They can talk, exchange or share their ideas and feelings together. It can improve their love and make their families warmer. Husbands will respect their wives’ hard work and do housework and take care of their babies together. If women don’t work, they only talk about babies or complain about housework to their husbands. Men will get bored or annoyed. It’s not good for their families. I have read an article about a family’s story. The wife stayed at home with a baby. Her husband often flew to different places for business. He had a girlfriend outside. He explained that they didn’t have the same topics to talk about at home. He needed to share his pressures with someone else. His wife couldn’t understand him. We know he gave himself an excuse about his action. He had no respect for his wife.
I think working women are also improving the status of women. Women have their own value. They are not only taking care of children and husbands. They can work using ability and make money to support their life. When women’s lives are only for their family, their worlds become narrow. They don’t work outside and depend on men. They do not have status in their family and society. If their families have some problems, women think this is end ofthe world. But men have careers besides their families. This is why women always strive for their rights and status. We say independent women can have their social status. This can be seen in the previous example. That husband only gave his wife money for motherhood. Even though his wife knew he had another girlfriend, she swallowed the insult because she thought her husband made money to support their family. She didn’t have a job outside. She and her child’s life depended on her husband so she couldn’t say anything. This wife didn’t have equal status in her family.
Working women are less likely to pamper their children. It’s important to train children even from babies. Parents always want their children independent in the future. Women work outside and they know what kind of ability or attitude children should learn. Also they can share different experiences how to teach children with coworkers or others. We know children need to get along with their peers. Children should go to kindergarten and shouldn’t always stay home with adults. If women stay at home, they pamper and do everything for their children so it’s harmful to children. When I grew up, my mother worked full-time. She always asked me and my sister to help with some housework. I learned I had to have responsibility for my life. In those years, children were in the same situation in my generation. Most of us are independent. There are a lot of mothers who help with all things even homework for their children. But their children still let parents worry.
All in all, women working outside full-time can increase their relationship in their families and improve their social status. Also, it’s good for their children’s growing up. It’s worth doing that, although it is hard to handle motherhood and careers. We know everybody has his or her value and status. Women should make unremitting efforts to improve themselves, fend for themselves and boost their self-confidence. Then they can have happiness and deep meaning life. Of course, women can successfully mix motherhood and careers.
— November 29, 2001
