Governor having twins...

Hi all - just heard a show on the radio discussing the governor of Mass. who just had twins and is planning to hold her office and go back to work after 3 mo.s (? I think) maternity leave. The dad is going to stay home full-time, but there was still lots of debate over whether it was ok for her to keep such a public job AND be a new mom. I thought it was insulting to the dad - people seem to think his staying at home isn't good enough to fulfill the needs of the children. Other male governors have had new babies while in office - even Tony Blair, British PM just became a dad and no one claimed he couldn't fill both roles.

On the other hand, working full time and taking care of 2 kids (holding down 2 jobs, is the way I think of it)is running me into the ground and I don't run an entire state. I'm not sure I'd want the gov. of CA to be off on maternity leave right now while we're fighting to get energy supplies! What do you guys think?

Kaaren

I have been doing a lot of thinking about this post, Kaaren, and I think that it boils down really to whether or not a woman with children should work......I have mixed feelings. If she had not been elected due to pregnancy, I would have been angry...and yet at the same time, I must admit harboring some predjudice about her returning to work so soon after having twins...It is really too bad that Janet is on vacation, because she could offer some much-needed insight on the topic



Should women be "allowed" to have high-powered careers when they are of child-bearing age? Right now, there is so much conflicting data about the outcome of daycare vs. stay-at-home moms...I would really love to keep discussing this topic...I am just not sure of how/where to start....I do think that women should have the right to work full-time if they want, but after my experience with daycare I would say that daycare isn't a good option for children. Even good daycare centers can't provide the individualized attention that children need and there is something to be said for having "special time" all day with mommy....that being said, I have not been true to my own moral beliefs. I understand the pressure from within and desire to have a successful career outside of the home...This is definately not a black-and-white issue help me out here guys.....



Kris

Just another thought here, Karen...how is the energy crisis in CA affecting everyone? What are the people's ideas there about how to overcome the challenge?



Kris