- By Jim Evans
- Entertainment
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SMART TALK
by Dr. Dot Pilcrow
WORKING MOTHER: This has struck me as one of the most ironic redundancies ever. Troglodyte preachers inveigh against working mothers while holding up the book of Proverbs's description of the perfect wife. The long suffering woman in that Bible chapter achieves her so-called perfection with hundred-hour work weeks, but she's not a working mother because she doesn't collect a paycheck. Meanwhile, her husband enjoys legal bull sessions with his buddies.
By the way, troglodyte is not a religious denomination, although it almost could be.
Watch a mom trying to get the grocery shopping done with the unhelpful involvement of even one small child who's tired and bored, and try to tell me she's not working. Child rearing is a fulltime job, thank you very much.
On top of the insulting and usually sexist ignorance behind saying working mother, the same airheads will refer to family vacations. That's not redundant, just thoughtless. Sure, Dad and the kids might have a great time, but too often, they expect Mom to be ecstatic about doing what she does the rest of the year but in a temporary location.
Moms, start lobbying now for an actual day off - all day - on Mother's Day. While you're at it, try for more. Aren't two-week vacations traditional for working folk?
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