Stay-at-Home Dad: Bringing Sexy Back
My salute to working women.
At a recent school function, I ran into one of those seldom-seen mothers. She was wearing a suit, a Metro-North schedule was peeking out of her briefcase and her hair was perfect. She looked at me and whispered that she’d like to be here more, but her work schedule was hectic—oh, and she hated the other mothers.
I actually understood what she was saying. I know that the stay-at-home moms can really make working mothers feel insignificant and out of place, even sometimes bullying them to an extent. I know that Westchester is filled with women who “until recently” used to do something grand, or at least that’s how the New York Times describes their past career endeavors.
But all around us, there are more and more women who are the breadwinners in their families... and they are sexy. Damn sexy.
Lets start with the Professional Moms. There are banking moms around us, not to be confused with the baking moms that we grew up with. These women have had to serve their time climbing the same corporate ladders that the male bankers did, although they had fewer female role models and even fewer female partners to help them along the way. Is there anything more alluring than a woman who understands credit default swaps? Kudos to you, banking ladies. Can I borrow a few bucks?
There are also a ton of Lawyer Moms around. They, too, had to endure the same partner tracts that their male counterparts did—and we all know that partner billing hours aren’t that conducive to ladies with young children. As a coach, lawyer moms seem to have trouble not arguing whether their kid is playing enough, or whether they received the correct jersey size or number. Is there anything hotter than a woman who gets paid to argue for a living? Way to go, lawyer lady. Can you look at this certified letter that I just got from an old business partner of mine?
Now, let's hear it for the Doctor Moms out there. Is there anything more titillating than a woman in a white coat (and nice shoes) that can examine your naked body and not even blink (or snicker, in my case)? The Doctor Moms are usually better educated than most of the guys in the room, and they, too, had to serve the same long internship that their male counterparts did. Once again this is a prime example of women thriving in a field that is traditionally filled with men. Great job, Doctor Lady. Can you look at this and let me know if you think it should be removed?
Then, there are the moms who work different office jobs in fields like accounting, computer technology and architecture. I am always blown away when I talk to these women and see how stressful their daily existence is. They work long 45-hour weeks, align their kids' schedules and even keep tabs on their husbands, if they want to. I don’t want to overlook any one occupation, especially the teachers. A lot of teachers have children of their own, but they still find the time to give other people’s kids all the time and attention that they deserve. Teaching Moms rock, and you all know that you are sexy. I’ll write it on your smart boards a thousand times!
What’s going on around us is quite clear: As we enter 2012, the playing field is becoming level! Women are doing what men used to do, men are doing what the women used to do, and it is confusing the crap out of our parents. Although the older generation may have trouble understanding this shift, it is great to think that our children may someday know no bounds set by gender.
Peter Goodson
11:04 pm on Thursday, January 5, 2012
I think that if you talk like this to real women, they'd laugh at you, or feel sorry for you and bite their tongues. Recently I read a new term for a stay at home parent - "Chief Domestic Officer". It's a serious job, no clowns need apply.
J.D. Oriani
7:02 am on Friday, January 6, 2012
@ Peter G- As a 20yr retired USAF Officer, and a Stay-at-Home Dad of a 2 year old Lil' Ninja, I don't think we need to crucify the author for his tongue-in-cheek brand of humor ... do we? Don't get me wrong, the military officer in me appreciates the oh-so-serious title of "Chief Domestic Officer," but come on, lighten-up a little -- Mr Miller is a humorist, not a Presidential Candidate after all :-)
Lance Dugby
7:51 am on Friday, January 6, 2012
Term STAY AT HOME MOM was coined to demean mothers who give up the extra paycheck to raise their kids. WOMANS LIBERATION was/is a failure simply because no one was liberated.
Kristen K
9:19 am on Friday, January 6, 2012
This is great!
Vincent | CuteMonster.com
10:09 am on Friday, January 6, 2012
Confusion is right. And yet, my own father sees my taking care of the kids at home as an opportunity that he missed. With age comes appreciation of what could have been, chances missed, and a last attempt at redemption. Most grandparents will attest to this which is why Grandpa's interaction with the kids usually has no resemblance with the upbringing you remember as a child. My wife often looks in disbelief at the transformation her own father has exhibited with our own children. "Who is this man?" But it's great. And now with Dads at home we have the opportunity to further break down the gender bias of child rearing to the extent that Moms and Dads will be seen as co-contributors, each providing and essential component to parenthood.
Vincent | CuteMonster.com
Heron
10:17 am on Friday, January 6, 2012
I'm confused by this article. I understand the beginning of it, and I get the point made in the last paragraph. But the middle paragraphs about women in different professions leave me perplexed about whether the article is supposed to funny, sarcastic, angry, or what? Maybe all of the above! (insert smiley of person scratching their head.)
Debra Brandwein
12:08 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012
I must agree with Heron. I'm not sure if he meant offense to working moms, but I certainly am insulted. I have lots of respect for working dads. How about a little respect for working moms?
Mac
2:52 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012
actually pal, there's no shift, you're just out of work. the last thing your article did was 'bring sexy back.' keep dreaming or better yet, get a job.
RealTimeRufus
3:57 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012
A most excellent riposte. Spot on, as we say in the UK.
John Q. Public
6:02 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012
Yesterday's NYTimes, architects have highest unemployment rate. Next to that unfunny humorists, like this piece. Not funny. Sad. Scarsdale has found its domestic Walter Mitty. File this tripe under That's Not Funny, It's Pathetic. The Patch should pay him NOT to write.
Willie Bobo
6:29 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012
JQP nailed it. This piece is pathetic. Doesn't this guy have any dignity? "Musings from behind the apron strings"? Jeez, man, why don't you just change your name to Jacqueline Miller. You make Clay Aiken look like Charles Bronson. Furthermore, the whole article reeks of condescension towards women. Far from admiring them, your left-handed "compliments" showed just the opposite sentiment. Congratulations, Jackie, you just alienated the entire male and female populations.
Mary Jane
9:56 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012
Allow me to cast my vote for "Pathetic Tripe." Not only is this piece of nonsense degrading and chauvintistic, it's downright creepy.
The article isn't even fluid. The author starts off by describing an encounter with a professional woman at a school function, but she's a hater. From there, he feels the need to share some apparent kooky fantasies he has when he looks at certain women. The descriptives used in conjunction with a female doctor are borderline sleazy. What any of that has to do with his being a stay-at-home dad, I'm not sure. As a professional woman who's raised my children and worked hard to get where I am, I have to be candid and say that I'm disappointed that The Patch felt this smut was worthy of publishing.
Willie Bobo
10:54 am on Saturday, January 7, 2012
Well said. I was actually surprised the Patch even ran this. I'd rather read a column that was straight-out and deliberately offensive than this underhanded garbage. At least it would be honest. This column is a patently disingenuous and insulting piece of schlock masquerading as a "look at me - I'm a modern man and I admire women" tract.
Mac
11:28 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012
Put me down for 'pathetic tripe.' Mary Jane, this guy has certainly set himself apart, but have you read some of these blogs? I think this guy's contribution is either a cry for help, or he wants out of his marriage and figures this will remove the last vestiges of respect for him his poor wife has left. Jackie, getting rid of your junk may not be a bad idea. You'd like great in a sundress.
Monk E. Lopez
11:35 am on Saturday, January 7, 2012
"You make Clay Aiken look like Charles Bronson."
"Jackie, getting rid of your junk may not be a bad idea. You'd like great in a sundress."
Damn - you guys are brutal! So much for the slow burn. You get right to the heart of the matter. I admire your "go for the jugular" approach. Sometimes it's necessary.
Saucy Bunny
4:34 pm on Monday, April 9, 2012
Ohhh man, looks like a lot of commenters didn't really understand the article. That's gotta suck for the author too.
Look at his last paragraph again, or did half of you get that far?
"Women are doing what men used to do, men are doing what the women used to do, and it is confusing the crap out of our parents. Although the older generation may have trouble understanding this shift, it is great to think that our children may someday know no bounds set by gender."
Then the complaints boil down to, "Yeah but this article is just an example of men doing what they've always done!" Really? A chauvinist pig who celebrates "no bounds set by gender"? Unicorns. The middle paragraphs read like a husband's mind... aren't all the activities mentioned things those kind of moms probably actually do with their husbands? And aren't husbands supposed to think their wives are hot? Oh, wait, maybe that was verboten in gender studies class. ;-)