Hummmmm–I totally disagree. The term floating around these days that"quality" time rather than “quantity” is what matters, is a total myth and a lie, among many in our culture today! Don’t believe it!
Don’t forget; however, that they also had other things that we don’t now such as extended family. Grandma and Grandpa were living with the family and took part in the raising. Besides, I don’t think that it’s true that the SAHM is unique to the last century. If you read about St. Catherine of Sienna, St Monica, and other canonized saints, you find their mothers at home with the children. Raising them deep in their Catholic faith.
Excellent, excellent post SusanL!!! Couldn’t agree more!Don’t forget; however, that they also had other things that we don’t now such as extended family. Grandma and Grandpa were living with the family and took part in the raising. Besides, I don’t think that it’s true that the SAHM is unique to the last century. If you read about St. Catherine of Sienna, St Monica, and other canonized saints, you find their mothers at home with the children. Raising them deep in their Catholic faith.
The world has shrunk incredibly in the last 100 years. Children were not exposed to any of the things that they are exposed to today just by turning on the tv. Or even going through the checkout at the local food chain.
It is true that societal ills have been around since we got kicked out of Eden. They are not a new creation but, my, how they’ve grown.
I’m not against women working. I work, too. Part-time. I’m just against daycare in a big way.
Whether or not human society will survive is moot. I’m not talking about society’s survival. I am most interested in our children getting to heaven. Do you remember Fatima? The angel was ready to torch the world because of it’s behaviour and that people had turned away from God. We only escaped it because of people’s prayers and penance.
When parents turn to daycare on a full-time basis, they lose precious time with their children that can never be replaced. They also start to turn away from their children in the time that they do have available for them.
Quality time cannot happen w/o sufficient quantity time. Kids have to see the ordinaryness (sp?) of our everyday life.
Agreed–well put.Don’t forget; however, that they also had other things that we don’t now such as extended family. Grandma and Grandpa were living with the family and took part in the raising. Besides, I don’t think that it’s true that the SAHM is unique to the last century. If you read about St. Catherine of Sienna, St Monica, and other canonized saints, you find their mothers at home with the children. Raising them deep in their Catholic faith.
The world has shrunk incredibly in the last 100 years. Children were not exposed to any of the things that they are exposed to today just by turning on the tv. Or even going through the checkout at the local food chain.
It is true that societal ills have been around since we got kicked out of Eden. They are not a new creation but, my, how they’ve grown.
I’m not against women working. I work, too. Part-time. I’m just against daycare in a big way.
Whether or not human society will survive is moot. I’m not talking about society’s survival. I am most interested in our children getting to heaven. Do you remember Fatima? The angel was ready to torch the world because of it’s behaviour and that people had turned away from God. We only escaped it because of people’s prayers and penance.
When parents turn to daycare on a full-time basis, they lose precious time with their children that can never be replaced. They also start to turn away from their children in the time that they do have available for them.
Quality time cannot happen w/o sufficient quantity time. Kids have to see the ordinaryness (sp?) of our everyday life.
I’m not sure that is true. Perhaps in the last century or so, but for the vast majority of human history the norm was for BOTH parents to be at home. Most people throughout history have worked in agriculture or in “cottage industries” essentially working from home. Women certainly contributed to this work, but both parents were typically working IN the home rather than out of it. I believe this is the most natural arrangement for humans. Certainly a SAHM and a working dad can make a great home for kids, but I do not believe even that it is the ideal. As a working father with a stay at home wife, I think working away from the home stinks.
You have to look back to the Industrial Revolution to see the start of the decline of modern family life. That is were fathers were first taken out of the home. Fathers were lured by the promise of a better lives for their families if they worked in city factories/offices. Just read T.S. Elliot’s The Wasteland to see how well that worked out. Fathers worked exhausting, demeaning jobs, and as a result they couldn’t do much at home. Fatherhood devolved over a century or so into being merely a provider. Consequently many fathers were not good role models to their sons, and the deterioration continued. Then we have the feminist revolution in the 60’s/70’s that said if men can work out of the home, so can women. So, one bad idea was compounded into two bad ideas. Now, nobody is at home with the kids and we all know (on this board) the devastating effects of that. So, to keep a historical perspective I think you need to go back 1.5 - 2 centuries to see where the Devil’s attack on the family began.
I live near a lot of Amish folk, and it is very refreshing to hear their ideas about family life, especially since they are essentially pre-industrial revolution ideas. They believe it is a father’s duty to work a job that enables him to be home as much as possible, and involve his children (or at least his sons). As Farm land is being bought by housing developers, there is much controversy in the Amish community about fathers working jobs that keep them away from home. Interesting folk.
Anyway, I think we can all agree that things are pretty far out of whack now. But as I learn more and more about devotion to St. Joseph, I become convinced we need to ask for his intercession to set things right.