There has always been strong opinions on whether mothers should return to the workforce or stay at home with their children.
And now it seems the controversial debate has been reignited once again.
An American blogger has faced serious backlash online after she posted a handwritten flow chart on Facebook which claimed working mothers are “falling apart”.
Conservative Christian Lori Alexander, who runs the blog The Transformed Wife, shared the flowchart titled “Should Mothers Have Careers?” which pitted stay-at-home mothers and working mums against each other.
The flowchart essentially shamed working mothers, stating that working mothers “come home exhausted” while stay-at-home mums “rest while their kids nap”. (We know what you’re thinking – yeah, right.)
The flowchart also claimed that working mothers are “too tired for intimacy” while stay-at-home mothers are frequently intimate and even suggested that stay-at-home mothers are more capable of providing a “nutritious and delicious” dinner for their children than working mothers are.
“Her life is fulfilling. Her husband and children rise up and call her blessed,” Alexander’s description of the stay-at-home mother read.
On the other hand, she described working mothers as: “Her life is falling apart. She doesn’t feel like she’s a good wife or mother”.
The blogger's post on Facebook subsequently received a lot of negative attention, with many woman accusing her of "shaming working mothers".
"This is ridiculous and not true. It's so sad that you portray working mothers this way," one woman commented.
"Can't say I've ever seen a post that was equally offensive to working mothers AND stay at home mums," another woman wrote.
"My having a job doesn't define my life or my roles as a mother/wife."
Twitter users were just as outraged.
This isn't the first time mother-of-four Alexander has come under fire for her handwritten messages.
Earlier this month she also shared a handwritten note about women being intimate with their husbands.
"Women falsely believe if they don't "feel" like being intimate with their husband than they shouldn't have to be," she wrote.
"We are commanded to not deprive our husband. We are instructed to deny ourselves, be living sacrifices and learn what pleases our husband."
Erm...
Let's just say that post didn't exactly go down well either.
A study has shown that parents are better employees than non-parents. On This Glorious Mess, we discuss why that is true.
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Top Comments
Wowsers, I am a SAHM at the moment and I don't do half of that, oops sorry! although I think my kids are actually pretty lucky to not be taught about Jesus all day long.
I see both sides of the debate, having been both a working Mum and stay at home Mum. Don’t think there are any absolutes, a lot depends on the woman’s employer and other parent of her kids. If she has full support from them her life might be less tiring, if she doesn’t, she will be tired whether she works outside the home or not. Each woman’s situation may be different.
What I think is dangerous is expecting women to be superwomen. That can lead to seriously bad physical and mental health. So dont pressure someone either way.