I went to the library this morning and had to sit and wait for it to open. There was a poster pointing outward from the glass window library office. It said "Wonder Woman" on the top with a big picture of Wonder Woman. At the bottom it said "Works." I find this a little frustrating. I realize elements of our society promote this idea, but women who work can't do it all. Yes, you can be a good mom and work, but spreading yourself thin requires delegation to avoid burnout. I used to work from home when my boys were young. I worked full-time+ and dh worked from home as well and he did much of the parenting. I missed so much. I couldn't do it all effectively and I was right there at home with my boys. Yet, at least in my experience the women working from home thing wasn't enough - I was still repeatedly asked when I was going back to my career and was considered "playing at staying-home" with my kids. I do still work from home, but only about 10 hours a week now. I would have more time with my family if I didn't. But I do what I need to do because I made the choice to stay at home. I do find it frustrating to encounter elements of society that promote the idea that only rich women have the option to stay at home as well. I saw this poster just after I drove past a school with all the teachers' cars in the parking lot and school in session. I miss my career. I loved it. I loved the start of the school year, but I love what I do now more. My job was replaceable. What I do every day now is not replaceable. There is no such thing as Wonder Women. Women can work. Women can stay-home with their kids. But women are not super heroes. We get tired. We get overwhelmed. We are not able to do it all without something getting less of our time and attention. We are human. While I am all for women's rights, I think the movement has pushed women to be Wonder Women when they are actually just women.
Totally agree! I hate this aspect of being a woman. We really are expected to keep EVERYTHING in order all of the time. If our dh's have jobs, no one expects them to do a perfect job on the lawn. But when I was working, if the house wasn't perfect guess who mil 'mentioned' it to? In another post I said I struggle with keeping our house as clean as I want it to be. And a HUGE part of that is society's refusal to see women as human beings. If we have kids, a career, etc FINE. But there aren't any get-out-of-jail-free cards for us because of it. If the kids are brats, mom isn't doing a good enough job. If I'm sick, I suck it up. If dh is sick, you'd think he was dying :roll: I have the same thoughts on the feminist movement. On one hand, great that we have equal rights! But we don't, really. We just got extra rights in addition to our responsibilities. We still aren't 'equal' in the sense that we have a better balance than we used to. I blame the feminist movement for forcing many parents to be 2-incomes. btw- I know there are many men out there who believe in equal housework and equal childrearing. But I didn't marry that guy, so that colors my perceptions as well! I read a study years ago that said men find home to be a place of peace and retreat, and women see home as a source of stress (paraphrasing completely).
Said by someone who (in my opinion anyway) obviously never stayed home to raise their children. If it were as easy a job as people seem to think it is, more women would do it maybe? Don't ever feel bad about your choice to be a stay at home mom, instead give yourself a pat on the shoulder because any stay at home mom (or dad) deserves it. You're on call 24/7 and make sacrifices that many working parents don't make. Your pay comes in the form of hugs and kisses and no amount of money could ever replace that
Totally agree with this whole post! I am NOT a wonder woman, and for the time that I tried, I became a failure at many other things. I especially liked what Meghan said, "We just got extra rights in addition to our responsibilities." VERY true!
Very much agreed. And more accurately, the poster would have stated that Wonder Woman volunteers. She is also a single woman. 'Nuff said.
It's surprising your local library took that stance. What is the message then that women who don't work are less then 'super'? I would ask that the library take it down as it is offensive to all women who do not work out of the home.
It is just the culture in which I live. I live in a big city in a liberal part of the country. It is to be expected. My soon to be nephew's wife just graduated with a masters in library science in the city next to ours. She is the same way and has talked about how horrified she was when a patron asked her to move books on homosexuality (i.e My Two Dads) so children wouldn't see them on display. I could make waves, but I heavily depend on the library and I'm already on thin ice with them
It could also be "works" as in she rocks ..work it !!! When you said what the poster said that is the first thing that popped into my head not that she has a job. I guess its all in how you view it. Did you ask the library if it was a pro-working woman poster? Maybe the librarian thought the same thing I did and put it up meaning she is cool ?
I guess it is possible, but it seems that leaves the poster unfinished. Works for what? for whom? I'm pretty sure it wasn't meaning "she rocks...work it." People don't really talk like that around here. Who knows. Here is a picture of the poster. - well it is a picture of the picture on the poster. At the top the words Wonder Women were more plain and at the bottom there was the word "Works."
I am Wonder Woman. And I DO work. Just because I don't get paid for it, doesn't make it any less work than someone who does. In fact, if you tallied up all the careers I DO have, I'd be paid more than the average CEO. I'm building Cathedrals here (Read "The Invisible Woman" by Nicole Johnson). Anyway, stupid poster.
This may be a bit off topic (or not) but we talk about this often in the HS group I'm in. I will say the same thing to you: my grandmother gave me the best advice in the world when she told me right after my son was born that the most important thing in your life won't be your clean house, it will be a well-adjusted, well-loved child. She told me to put down the broom, overlook a little bit of clutter, and PLAY with my children. Now, this was coming from a woman who had a spotless house. I mean, intimidatingly spotless! :lol: But I looked at her and listened to what she was saying. She knew the value of both things, cleanliness and children, and she was telling me to choose the child. I tell my HS friends, will the world end if you go to bed with a couple of dishes in the sink? Will the world keep spinning if you opt for a board game with the kids instead of vacuuming? Who says it HAS to be clean to whatever standard? Above all, I tell them to give themselves permission to relax a bit. At the end of your life, do you want to look back and say, well I had a clean house. Or do you want to smile and look at your children, knowing they had a few minutes extra every day from their mom. Sorry -- it's my soapbox.
I wonder if that was a nostalgic poster. Wasn't Wonder Woman created during WWII? Could this be like a Rosie the Rivetor ad, encouraging women to pick up the jobs that the men had left behind? Otherwise, it just seems odd. Regardless of what the Wonder Woman poster means, I with the thoughts it prompted Embassy to write.
