Replies to '12/28 Wifestyles'

Excellent post. I have a non-traditional family structure too, in that my husband is just as involved in housecleaning and childrearing as I am. We share chores and often do chores together just because it's more fun that way.  

I do admit though, that in our house, I don't do much of the vacuuming. In fact, I wasn't aware of how little vacuuming I did until one day, when my daughter was about 4 she said, "When I grow up I'm going to vacuum in my house." My son looked at her gravely and said, "Oh I don't think girls are ALLOWED to vacuum. In my house I'm going to own the vacuum, just like Daddy."  

My children are teens now and they are good kids. Neither of them seems to have suffered from the loving child care they got when Mommy was at work. If anything they learned to appreciate other family members, like their great aunt and uncle who were their usual caregivers. They developed relationships with neighbours and family members through their caregivers and they remember those days fondly. Good childcare is not a jail sentence for the child to endure while Mommy is away - done right, good childcare gives children additional resources, viewpoints and people who love them than children in traditional families may find.