The prompt today asks us to come up with a crazy business idea. I was going to cheat and just explain everywhere I’ve worked. Being a ramp hostess for rich people who own private jets. I worked in a large pink building that was supposed to help veterans, but I think it caused them more pain. For years, I spent my life in dark windowless buildings working behind the stage, literally. I’ve worked in broadcast television and news, and that universe is just a lovely bunch of coconuts. And to top it off, I have decided to spend my days teaching other people’s children how to work in broadcast, film, and news. But the idea of funding women during the first five years of motherhood or until their youngest goes to kindergarten is the craziest of them all.
Now hear me out. I know this idea would ruffle feathers, but I think society would benefit from having women at home taking care of their children, if this is the path they choose. This doesn’t mean society forces all women to stay home and never return to their careers. But we have other social programs. This would support parents who homeschool, have multiple children, or have children with special needs.
I have no idea if I could take advantage of such a program. I go stir crazy being at home. But a lot of that factors in knowing that when I leave the house, I spend money and when I was on maternity leave. I was only receiving 60% of my already small paycheck and paying for insurance out of pocket. Teachers really don’t get paid very well. I wanted to do mommy and me classes, spend time with my babies doing bonding things and fun growth and development activities. Honestly, it most likely would have helped a lot with my mental health and postpartum being surrounded by people going through the same things. Instead, I had no choice but to return to the workforce at three months and entrust the care of my child to others.
I hear people now: Well, it was your decision to have kids. If you couldn’t afford to have kids, why did you? No one made you go back. insert eye roll
Without women choosing to bring life into this world, there would be no world left. Everything we worked so hard to create would be for the birds. However, countless women sit daily, grappling with the challenge of surviving, being the best parents, and making a living. It would just be nice to have that support in knowing that there was something for those who are aspiring to be a homemaker. Because that career is not for the faint of heart.
A true homemaker, not someone who hires a nanny and goes to yoga or shopping all day, is a thankless job. They care for the children. Transporting them to school and sports. Helping with homework, taking care of the home and cooking dinner. ( Cooking is a big part of why I would be disqualified.)
Hell, if a man wanted this job, I don’t see why not. I know many amazing fathers who cannot spend time with their kids as much as they would like.
Society and taxes already pays for those who are unemployed. It may be a struggle, but it happens. Welfare provides support for working individuals who cannot adequately provide for their families. Despite hearing all my life that I won’t receive it, social security exists for the elderly as well. So why not add stipulations for those who want to stay home and care for their families?
Society has transformed dramatically in a very short amount of time. We used to have one person home, commonly the mother, and one working, commonly the father. We have placed our children in the care of others. Hoping these people are the best, to care for our little pieces of our hearts.
If maybe those who go to school for early childhood education were given the choice to stay home and raise their families, I feel like there would be another social shift. If children were the focus of their home life instead of chasing a dollar, maybe there wouldn’t be as many problems with the youth that we see now. Parents would be less exhausted and families would be stronger.
But that’s a pipe dream. We can’t even get maternity leave covered in America. How are we going to figure out a way to pay those who have the hardest job on the planet?