I'll crosspost this on me-ander.
Like Sarah Palin, I'm also the mother of five, though my kids are grown. My kids' age gap is large enough that I could accurately describe it as having to simultaneously deal with teething and orthodonture work.
The American media is full of articles debating the wisdom of a mother of such young children performing competently as both US Vice President and mother. People who don't have children, or just have one or very few with many years in between think that large families must be many more times difficult than having one. But it's not so, not at all.
Even though I'm glad I never had to, my maternal grandmother was in the kitchen making dinner soon after giving birth to each of her first five children. Since there is no law requiring a paid maternity leave in the United States, it's actually very common for women to be back at work within a week of giving birth.
Children love companionship and thrive on responsibility. Siblings are friends, and caring for siblings is the natural way of developing a sense of responsibility.
Yes, campaigning is hectic and physically stressful, but then once the election is over, most United States Vice Presidents have admitted that it's the easiest job they've ever had.
4 comments:
What really bothers me is that if the candidate was a male, everyone would call him a "family man" and no one would ever think to accuse him of neglecting his children.
You are 100% right on that. And in terms of real governing experience, she's a billion times more qualified than Obama and is no less experienced in foreign affairs than he was before starting his campaign. She's hyper and engergetic, while he's anorexic.
While the Vice-Presidency has changed somewhat in the past few decades, I still think one description was the best. I can't remember which VP said it, but he described the Vice-Presidency as "Not worth a bucket of warm spit."
:D
I'm positive that I read that it's a real easy job on the family. Actually, many presidents' wives have said the same about being president, much less traveling and stress than previous positions and an absolute vacation after campaigning.
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