Truer Words

have never been spoken than when I read this is in More Magazine, July/August issue.

The article is titled: "How the presidency made me a better father" by Barack Obama.

"I helped out, and I saw myself as a pretty enlightened guy. But the truth was, I helped on my own terms and on my schedule, and the expectations and the burden disproportionately - and unfairly-  fell on Michelle, as happens to many women."

When I read the words "on my own terms" I had a huge AH HA! My husband was helpful, as my son and son in law are wonderful to assist their wives in the care and raising of their children, but…

the day to day, hour by hour, minute by minute planning and guiding and organizing and monitoring and worrying and on and on are in the hands of the mother, "disproportionately and unfairly".

I'm not sure parenthood can ever be 50-50 and maybe women don't want to give up the control of the parenting to the father, but there does need to be some recognition of the disparity within the partnership. And some sort of compensation for that difference because not only does the majority of parenting fall to the mother, so does the managing of the household. Which may have been ok when mothers didn't work outside the home, but when you add in the female is also an equal bread winner…

The answer isn't coming any time too soon, but how refreshing for our president to realize the state of parenting.