Women should be MOTHERS NOT CEO's Graduation Speech

[zoo2tycoon]

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/audience-inspired-irked-by-commencement-speech-telling-women-that-mothering-is-biggest-contribution

OK...what do you all think of this!

 

[lizabu]

I don't even know what to say. Just Gobsmacked.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

That's what I thought ...amazing!

 

[skatalite]

Well, if a woman does decide to have children, I'd expect her number one priority to be her child and family.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I think it was a bad idea to single out women as being the caregiver. Men aren't just providers. That's a 1950's way of looking at the world.

But the idea that you can't be both a CEO and a good parent isn't something I completely disagree with. Something has to give, right? Either your spouse ends up being a single parent, you hire a nanny and then ship your children to boarding school, or you don't do a very good job as a CEO. Or a politician, for that matter.

At least, that's my perspective of the situation.

 

[disykat]

I think we need more parents that are invested in their kids and families as their main priority. Their gender or their career have nothing to do with it IMO, unless that career keeps them from prioritizing their family. Then gender doesn't matter, a missing parent is still a missing parent.

I know lots of parents who work whose families are still their number one priority.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I think we need more parents that are invested in their kids and families as their main priority. Their gender or their career have nothing to do with it IMO, unless that career keeps them from prioritizing their family. Then gender doesn't matter, a missing parent is still a missing parent.

I know lots of parents who work whose families are still their number one priority.

This.

 

[SandrA9810]

If you read the whole story, he also addressed the men in the same fashion. Was it appropriate? Not really... but he equally defended each side; basically saying that kids (soon to be adults) need to stop focusing on money oriented goals and look after the welfare of their families they are raising when that time comes.

There's probably less conservative ways of putting that speech without offending people. But the media likes to pick words and phrases that make the story more interesting rather than the whole story that's pretty meh.

 

[Wendy31]

When I was in college, I had a professor in my "Intro to Education" class tell me that a woman can be a better teacher if she didn't have kids of her own.

Just recently, I was watching one of those news magazine shows like "Dateline" or "20/20", & the story was about a female CEO of some famous company who had stepped down from her position.

The CEO said that she couldn't have achieved what she had if she had had a family. She went on to say that she made a conscious decision to not have a family in pursuit of her career. And she further claimed that a woman, as much as we might like to believe differently, cannot, in actuality, "have it all" - that it's just not possible for a woman to be a good wife & mother & be a successful CEO. Yes, there's a double standard for men & women, &, if one wants to "play" in a man's world & win the game, the only way to do it is w/o the responsibility & emotional ties to a family (husband & kids).

She regrets the decision she made.

She's now married, & she & her husband are looking to adopt a child.

I'm not sure whether or not I agree w/ her, but the interview & her viewpoints were interesting.

Back to my college professor...

I have never forgotten what the professor said - that the best teachers are childless.

For 2 of the years I was a teacher, I had children, & I was not a very good mother during those 2 years. I was a good teacher, but I was not a good mother. I'm not saying that every teacher who has kids of her own is not a good mother, I just know that I wasn't. Some women can do it. I couldn't.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I know plenty of successful mothers with jobs outside of the home who rock at both being a mother and in their jobs.

Anne Sweeney is a very successful corporate person. I've attended one of her lectures; she surprised the heck out of me when she explained how she balances work and her home life: her family comes first, period.

 

[themilesfamily]

Well, if a woman does decide to have children, I'd expect her number one priority to be her child and family.

I agree. And I'd expect that of the father, as well.

ETA: I have to add it! "A man should never neglect his family for business." ~ Walt Disney

 

[Disneyland1084]

He should have worded his speech differently, but he probably didn't mean any harm.

 

[merryweather20]

If you read the whole story, he also addressed the men in the same fashion. Was it appropriate? Not really... but he equally defended each side; basically saying that kids (soon to be adults) need to stop focusing on money oriented goals and look after the welfare of their families they are raising when that time comes.

There's probably less conservative ways of putting that speech without offending people. But the media likes to pick words and phrases that make the story more interesting rather than the whole story that's pretty meh.

No. He did not address the men in the same fashion. He insisted they become providers for their wife and children. They are allowed to have a career, but apparently their parenting should be somewhat limited and focus mainly on their ability to contribute financially.

 

[Art 1]

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/audience-inspired-irked-by-commencement-speech-telling-women-that-mothering-is-biggest-contribution

OK...what do you all think of this!

I mostly agree. Seems the USA was a better place when that was the norm. I don't have the stats nor do I care to look them up. But I'll bet crime, teen pregnancies, reading and math scores and so forth were much favorable then.

 

[NaLisa]

I mostly agree. Seems the USA was a better place when that was the norm. I don't have the stats nor do I care to look them up. But I'll bet crime, teen pregnancies, reading and math scores and so forth were much favorable then.

I get so tired of hearing this kind of argument. Life was great in the 40s and 50s, blah, blah, blah. Sure it was, if your cultural narrative was an American-born, white, middle-class, Christian male. Try talking to immigrants, women, poor people, non-Christians and other historically marginalized people. Ask them how great is was growing up in the 40s and 50s when they were disenfranchised, unable to receive medical treatment, segregated, etc. When physical and sexual abuse was swept under the rug by everyone, including the legal system, clergy and families. When unmarried women who became pregnant were shipped off to have the baby and then forced to give it away, or underwent extremely dangerous "medical" procedures to end an unwanted pregnancy. When children with disabilities were send to "mental asylums" for their entire lives. When men could run off with a mistress and not be held accountable to the family they left behind.

I know you don't care to look at stats to back up your flawed argument, but maybe you should try talking to some people who are non-white, non-male, non-Christian, etc. to see if their experience is different than you assume.

 

[RitaZ.]

I get so tired of hearing this kind of argument. Life was great in the 40s and 50s, blah, blah, blah. Sure it was, if your cultural narrative was an American-born, white, middle-class, Christian male. Try talking to immigrants, women, poor people, non-Christians and other historically marginalized people. Ask them how great is was growing up in the 40s and 50s when they were disenfranchised, unable to receive medical treatment, segregated, etc. When physical and sexual abuse was swept under the rug by everyone, including the legal system, clergy and families. When unmarried women who became pregnant were shipped off to have the baby and then forced to give it away, or underwent extremely dangerous "medical" procedures to end an unwanted pregnancy. When children with disabilities were send to "mental asylums" for their entire lives. When men could run off with a mistress and not be held accountable to the family they left behind.

I know you don't care to look at stats to back up your flawed argument, but maybe you should try talking to some people who are non-white, non-male, non-Christian, etc. to see if their experience is different than you assume.

There really isn't anything else for me to say.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I believe it is best for the children to be cared for by one of their parents. That's why I'm a SAHM. I was raised by a single mom and we all turned out great despite being in daycare and home by ourselves after school. But my mom worked hard to make sure that we came first. My DH was raised by two parents who worked full-time, and his dad was away on business a lot. He doesn't want that for his kids. He comes home for lunch almost every day and tries very hard to not bring work home, or do it after the kids are in bed. We are not rich by any means, it is just important to us that I raise our kids, so we make it work on one income. I don't think working parents are less of parents, but it's not the same.

 

[scoutie]

If all working mothers stayed home, we'd lose a lot of talented professionals. My kids' favorite doctor, my gyno, half of the teaching staff at my school.....

What one CEO says, doesn't represent reality.

As for America being "better off", that's a matter of opinion too. More women were stuck in abusive marriages, for one example. Also, certain types of crime are actually down, compared to the 50's. NaLisa has excellent points.

Not all children benefit by one parent staying home. I can think of a dozen personal examples. It's great if that works best for your family, but it's not a fact for everybody. I'm guessing this is eventually going to turn into a "my kid is more loved and smarter because I don't care about money, while all of you materialistic working moms are hurting your kids by trying to fill a house full of things" sort of thread, like every other thread about this topic on the DIS somehow does.

I have a binder full of beautiful letters from parents and students who are pretty glad I'm not a SAHM. My kids are thriving and feel pretty lucky too.

I think this speech was insulting to men too.

 

[whatname]

Interesting how he defends himself by saying he addressed the "ladies" and the "men" similarly. Not the "women" and the "men" or the "ladies" and "gentlemen."

 

[MrsDuck]

Well, if a woman does decide to have children, I'd expect her number one priority to be her child and family.

If a couple decides to have children, I'd expect their number one priority to be to their child and family... regardless of their working situation.