Only HALF of KIDS need to READ. Raising Daughters to be incompetent.

 Imagine if we taught half of our kids to read. 

Why not? If half knew how to read, they can just read to the others.

If that seems absurd to you, why do we only teach HALF our kids to prioritize preparing financially take care of themselves? After all, the other half will take care of them. 

I'm talking about raising female children with the idea that being a mother is the most important thing they will ever do in their lives. Raising daughters to find good partners instead of raising them to fend for themselves. Raising daughters that to be a good mom, you have to be a good picker of a partner.

We teach boys that being a dad is important but that being a dad includes providing for their kids. 

I've heard arguments about women having babies and they are better nurturers and at home parents than men... and I call foul. 

Men are just as capable of being phenomenal caretakers as women in the home. Unless..... we don't ever hold the standard that they could be.

I just had a baby and dang... I was only able to be out of bed for 4-5 hours a day for 5 months. After recovering from birth, I took 6 months off of work to be at home with my baby. 

And, I want to clarify... I chose that. I wanted to stay home that long and created a way to do it. YES, I have an amazing partner. But he doesn't pay my bills or finance my choices.

ALL of these same reasons are why society says that women shouldn't have to work or be expected to provide for themselves... after all; How can you work and provide if you are on bedrest or caring for a small infant?

I call foul. 

It's possible. 

This article isn't meant to make stay at home moms or ANY mom's feel like they aren't doing enough... hot dang; we do that enough in our own heads.

What I am saying is that as a society, for our own family and economic health, it would be WISE for us to raise ALL our children to learn the capacity to care for their own needs. 

Financially, emotionally, physically, retirement wise, etc. 

There will ALWAYS be people who are mentally or physically incapacitated through no fault of their own who aren't able to work to provide for themselves and their kids. It's the way of ALL nature. IF EVERYONE who IS PHYSICALLY able to provide for themselves was doing so- the extra would be more than enough for those who sincerely can't. 

But... that's a slippery slope too. 

When I think of pregnancy and childcare as a medical condition that inhibits one for financially providing for their own needs, I think of a friend of mine I've known from childhood. He was born with a bone degenerative disease and knew he would never be able to rely on physical strength to provide for himself. 

At my age; he can now barely walk. 

And, he's a millionaire. 

He dedicated his youth and energy into intellectual career and education and is doing JUST FINE. 

What if, instead of raising daughters with the idea that they shouldn't have to learn to support themselves, they learned that being female is part of their medical reality. 

As such, they would be wise to prepare their lives, education, and financial savings to be able to work a flexible career, and have money invested and set aside to take 3-12 months off from working periodically throughout their life. 

It's not unfair. 

It's just biology. 

When I think of the imbalance that occurs from teaching girls their greatest calling is to have babies, I wonder how that effects our education numbers and teen pregnancy statistics. I wonder if girls spent as much time and energy considering their careers, if they would end up with as many underachieving men with their fingers crossed it would work out. 

What I have seen with women who have successful careers... when a boyfriend comes into their lives- they expect him to treat her well, to be ambitious and industrious too. BONUS: it just DOESN'T matter how much money he makes... because she is taking care of her responsibilities already. She chooses her partner based on LOVE for WHO they are.

I wonder if it would alleviate the pressures on marriage on the primary provider and the dependency on the stay at home partner. 

I wonder how it would affect domestic abuse statistics when both partners can financially walk away at anytime and provide for their kids if toxicity began. 

I wonder how divorce rates would be if people went into their marriages and relationships with CHOICE and EQUALITY versus hope and need. 

What would happen if we chose our partners based on their character and compatibility instead of what how they could provide for us. If NEITHER partner CONTROLS, has the upper hand, or NEEDS the other; than it calls us to be GREATER partners. To be partners that CHOOSE to be together and treat each other well because no one has to stay and tolerate otherwise.

Just questions. 

Not answers. 

But food for thought.