As schools go online nationally amid a recession, the speeding high-unemployment and home-school trains are on a collision course, with working mothers, their families, and the economy set to be mowed down at the crossroads. Unless we switch tracks, quickly – with programs to directly address our needs that will also feed our economy: universal online tutoring and prorated pandemic parenting pay.
Decline in Births Among Twentysomething Women, by Race This week the Urban Institute tackles the fertility question: Will the birth rate drop among young women since the 2007 recession be made up by births to those same women when they’re
Here’s a lively summary of the last 50 years of change in the gendering of work & the recent lack of change in the rates of women’s participation in the paid work world, by sociologist and blogger Philip Cohen (familyinequality.wordpress.com):
My new piece on the Daily Beast makes two arguments: the current national school schedule forces women out of the work stream, and women can use the clout we’ve amassed to date to change things now. Though the mismatch of
I have a story up on theAtlantic.com site about birthrates and childcare: here. The story was published with a confusing title, which was soon changed to the current title (same as here), so got some confused comments in response initially.
The NY Times‘ Room for Debate online forum asked “Should women delay motherhood?” That’s a problematic question, presuming that “experts” know what women “should” do better than they do themselves. Here’s my reply along with those of six others: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/07/08/should-women-delay-motherhood/delayed-parenting-can-empower-women A Delay
One of the nice things about being an older mom is the friendly comments you get: just this morning a 29-year old I’d just met remarked apropos of nothing in particular that I didn’t look 55. She hoped she’d look