Marilyn Gardner’s More Working Parents Play “Beat the Clock” addresses the many problems that can ensue when one or two parents works, and the difficulties that the families must overcome. The wellbeing of a family is usually the responsibility of the man, although this is not always the case. Many times a family finds itself in a plight where there is a risk that the father might lose his job, or potentially lose his closeness with his family family. Additionally, it is sometimes common that the woman in the family will choose to work as well so to have extra money if need be. This, however, is not the best idea for the family as it can make a situation worse in some cases. Christopher Mele’s Sick Parents Go to Work, Stay Home When Kids Are …show more content…
In Marilyn Gardner’s More Working Parents Play “Beat the Clock”, she goes into extensive detail on how a family’s lifestyle can change immensely, simply because of one person. A whole family must alter the way they go about their day and lives, just so that they can be provided for and taken care of. Husbands and fathers who work late shifts of various times often receive more than they bargain for when it comes to their job. Of course, the man has his family in mind when he works, but there can still be complications. Because some men have jobs that require working at abnormal times, wives and kids hardly get to see or spend time with their father/husband. Some husbands must work very early in morning, which means they do not get to see their family in the morning or evening because when they come home from work, they go straight to sleep. Moreover, some wives are not willing to put in the extra effort to maintain a good relationship with their husband, “ A lot of wives don’t get up with their husbands at 5 am,” says Mrs. Powers. If the wife is not willing to help out with the relationship and keep the family together, then it is almost certain that the family will not stay as …show more content…
What do you do with your kids?”. Sometimes a family is forced to have both parents working in order to sustain and provide for the family as a whole, meaning the parents have no choice but to work. Some parents place their kids in child centers until they are done with work, but many parents do not agree with this, leaving them with a complication. An attempt to combat the problem of taking care of the kids is by having parents work different shifts, so while one works the other watches the kids. However, parents are not always so fortunate because occasionally, they cannot choose their own schedule. There are a few benefits to both parents working though, such as the father can spend more time with his children while his wife is at work. This can lead to better chemistry throughout the family if all goes well. The success of a family can vary when both parents work, but if done properly, a family can benefit tremendously from
As if being the father of two children and a dedicated husband were not enough, Victor Terhune has to balance his family life with his job. Victor currently works as a Technical representative for the sales department at Weastec in Dublin, Ohio. Though work holds him back from doing some of the things that he would like to be doing, like spending more time with his wife and sons, this is a common theme for many workers today in a relationship with their desire to be with their families. Victor strives to get resolution to this by making time by driving home right after work and focusing on that quality time with his family.
In her essay, “Win-Win Flexibility,” Karen Kornbluh explains the need for workplace changes due to changing family structures. Kornbluh explains that norms have shifted from a traditional family consisting of a breadwinner and a homemaker to what she coins a juggler family. According to Kornbluh, a juggler family is characterized by, “two working parents or an unmarried working parent” (323). By making changes, traditional work schedules can be altered to increase flexibility and better accommodate juggler families. In addition to the shift in family structures, parents are now working longer hours and have limited opportunities to take time off or change their work schedule. As a result of long, inflexible hours, many working individuals find it difficult to care for children or provide care for elderly or ill family members. Due to this, large sums of money are spent on childcare each year, and many children still do not receive the level of care that they need (Kornbluh 323).
Society’s definition is conflicting when it comes to who can have it all. By balancing work and family, Slaughter believes both men and women can have it all. However, she argues that it is impossible with many type jobs to maintain
There appears to be widespread agreement that family and home life have been changing dramatically over the last 40 years or so. According to Talcott Parsons, the change in family structure is due to industrialization. The concept that had emerged is a new version of the domestic ideal that encapsulates changed expectations of family relations and housing conditions. The family life in the postwar period was highly affected. The concept of companionate marriage emerged in the post war era just to build a better life and build a future in which marriage would be the foundation of better life. Equality of sexes came into being after...
Previous generations have a strong belief of keeping work and home life separate; that work is for work and home is for play (Rampell, 2011, para 21). Today’s professionals do not seem to abide by similar beliefs, constantly crossing the borders of one into the other. While many recognize this as an issue that could result in employees being less productive, it has actually resulted in them accepting that their work may run late into the evening or even into the weekend. I agree with this completely in that I grew up being taught that business is business and personal is personal; you leave your home life at the door. But now times have changed, and my weekends are no longer dedicated to my home life, but for work, because I attend classes during the week. Also, in my line of work in the Allied Health industry, it is a requirement to work off hours. Long gone are the days of working nine to five, Monday through Friday; technology and the demand of wanting affairs done and done as soon as possible, has made it so the “work week” is now 24-7. “Jon Della Volpe, the director of polling at Harvard Institute of Politics, said, ‘Some experts also believe that today’s young people are better at quickly switching from one task to another, given their exposure to so many stimuli during their childhood and adolescence’” (Rampbell,
The inability to achieve “work-life balance” has become a major focus for workplace equality activists. When this topic is brought about it is primarily used to describe how woman cannot have a work and home life but instead are forced to choose. Richard Dorment took on this point of interest from a different perspective in his article “Why Men Still Can’t Have It All” published with esquire. Going against the normal trend he describes how women are not the only ones put into the same sacrificial situations, but instead that men and women alike struggle to balance work and home. Dorment opens up by saying “And the truth is as shocking as it is obvious: No one can have it all.” In doing so Richard Dorment throws out the notion that one
The present structure of the average family in America is changing, mainly due to the growing number of mothers who now work outside the home. The current mark of dual-earner families stands at 64 percent, making it a solid majority today. This alteration of the "traditional" structure of the family is a channel for other changes that may soon occur.
Talcott Parsons and Robert Bales, two of the leading figures in sociology, may be considered the founding fathers for the ideas of the “modern family” and the “male-breadwinner family.” Collectively, their work has influenced how Americans analyze families and has sparked new ideas regarding the American family from sociologists such as Stephanie Coontz and Arlie Hochschild. However, when studying the American family, Parsons and Bales fail to understand that the “ideal” family may not be so ideal for everyone. They neglect to consider societal influences and economic changes when discussing patriarchal social norms as the most optimal family structure. Their description of the male-breadwinner family consists of the father being the “instrumental leader” within the home, providing economically for his family based on his occupational earnings. Meanwhile, the mother is considered the manager of the household, providing for her husband and children physically, emotionally, and mentally.
It’s not easy to build an ideal family. In the article “The American Family” by Stephanie Coontz, she argued that during this century families succeed more when they discuss problems openly, and when social institutions are flexible in meeting families’ needs. When women have more choices to make their own decisions. She also argued that to have an ideal family women can expect a lot from men especially when it comes to his involvement in the house. Raymond Carver, the author of “Where He Was: Memories of My Father”, argued how his upbringing and lack of social institutions prevented him from building an ideal family. He showed the readers that his mother hide all the problems instead of solving them. She also didn’t have any choice but to stay with his drunk father, who was barely involved in the house. Carvers’ memoir is relevant to Coontz argument about what is needed to have an ideal family.
Patricia Hyjer Dyk talks about poverty and how it complicates the family life. On the other hand, Stephanie Coontz focuses on how families have changed from the 20th century to the 21st century; focusing on the negative and positive aspects of both. Dyke doesn’t talk much about how the family system and the earning system has changed, while Coontz focuses on that; however, in both the authors’ articles, women and their role in the society are significantly covered. According to Dyk, the family life has become complicated because of a number of stressors. These stressors include the difficulties that people face on a daily basis, in the shape of physical, emotional and psychological needs.
Being a parent is no easy job for a mother or a father in even the best of circumstances, in fact not only is it the hardest job one will ever do, it is also a job that is never done. Being a parent is not a nine to five job with nights and weekends off. Rather it is a twenty-four seven job until the day that you die. This is not to say that parenting does not have its rewards. Overall, most parents would probably be the first to tell you it is the best job and the most rewarding thing they have ever done in their lives. There are many types of parents and family situations and there is not one that is perfect or superior or right or wrong. However, a two-parent household does lend itself to many advantages
The American family model traditionally included the mother and father with two kids, a boy and girl. In this 1950’s family model the husband is seen as the breadwinner while the mother is the homemaker. This model is exemplified in the Battleship advertisement where the father is resting from a hard day’s by work playing a board game with his son. At the same time the mother is doing the days dishes with some help drying from her daughter. Today however, these rigid stereotypical roles are no longer applicable to the members of the modern family. With increases in divorce rates and teen pregnancy combined with the shift in economic roles of the majority of families, the traditional nuclear family is a minority (Wetzel, 1990). The JCPenny
As large numbers of married couples work outside the home and have parenting responsibilities, their multiple roles have grown. Therefore, the combination of work and family roles generates a spillover of stress in these two areas. Balancing work and family is both a female and male issue. The demands of work pull them away from family intimacy, while the demands of family pull them in. Either extreme can be problematic for individuals and their intimate relationships.
Most family’s feel that both parents need to work today. Society leads one to think it is a necessity for two adults to work to survive. When the decision is being made for two adults to work does the family consider all the cost involved? Two adults working can have a huge effect on a family’s emotional, time, and finances.
Working mothers try their best to balance between families and work. Mothers who work outside are happier, have a better level of health and energy, as compared to stay at home mothers. Working mothers are dynamic multi-taskers and great managers. The most important reason that mothers should work is money. Whether a mother is single or married, in order to survive in a fluctuating economy the family needs money. Mothers can never see their family depriving of basic needs. Another reason could be if a mother is earning more than a father then it's wise to continue the job. Also when both mother and father work, two incomes are coming into the house. Because of that family can enjoy the luxuries, go on vacations and fulfill children demands. A working mother is financially independent. If a husband dies or divorces her, she will have no...