15:03 Gulf News: Parenting is tough, but it is not a job because you cannot resign from the role.
15:03 Rakhi Kapur: I strongly agree that parenting is not at all easy, however, it cannot be considered as a job because you have to keep up with it, irrespective of if you like it or not. Of course, you can resign; there is nothing in this world that you cannot immediately drop and sit isolated! But this is the factor that determines the changes in our society and how one way of parenting is different from another!
15:04 Elizabeth Eapen: Parenting is not a job. It is a calling or a stewardship role. Our children are loaned to us for a time to nurture, mould and shape. We are simply called to be exemplary stewards of the precious lives entrusted to us. However, we need to recognise that not everyone is blessed to be a parent. We take electricity, water and other conveniences for granted until it is taken away from us. Just like with everything else, we should stop complaining about what we have and make the best of what we have, that is our children — at least while we still have them with us.
15:05 Madhu Madan: I agree that parenthood is tough and intense, but it should not be considered as a job because it would diminish the immense worth and value of such a relationship. If being a parent was a job, there would be a selection process, pay, holidays, a superior to report to, performance assessments, and you could resign from your job and get another one because you didn’t like the people you were working with. It’s not a vacation either — being a parent is a relationship and a moral responsibility. Unlike a job, parenting is for life.
15:07 Richard Joel Kamanyiro: I strongly agree with this as parenting and marriage alike, is something that has been commercialised and is seen in terms of monetary value. Therefore, one cannot resign from a responsibility that was given to him or her by God.
15:08 Urmila Santosh: Parenting is a big responsibility and cannot be compared to any other job. I am a stay-at-home mother, and I can see visible results on a daily basis as a proof of my commitment towards raising my children.
15:09 Gulf News: Working spouses should pay homemakers for taking care of the children.
15:10 Elizabeth Eapen: I disagree with this and even if we do concede that parents need to be paid, what would be a pay commensurate with the job at hand and will any spouse ever be able to afford that? The truth is that no amount would adequately pay for all the roles played by a mother.
15:10 Rakhi Kapur: Absolutely not. I think that a ‘thank you’ or ‘I love you’ is more than enough gratitude as opposed to any monetary wage from a spouse. If we are to get money for this job, then the passion towards making our children responsible and respectable citizens of the society will be completely diluted.
15:11 Madhu Madan: Homemakers are undervalued and homemaking is not given due respect and credit that is why this kind of discussions pop up. An extremely vital and at times challenging task of the hardworking homemaker is to launch educated, good, responsible children and run a functional family while their spouse or partner works. However, he or she should be given some pocket money or occasional rewards and gratitude, could be in terms of gifts and outings. That’s more than enough. He or she should be financially and emotionally rewarded but not commercially paid as a salary.
15:12 Urmila Santosh: What payment can you offer a spouse who is at home full-time caring for the children? It is demeaning to even attach a monetary value to that. Instead, working spouses should concentrate on being more supportive to the spouse staying at home by pitching in whenever they are home. That would be better and of more value than any monetary compensation.
15:13 Richard Kamanyiro: I don’t agree that working spouses should pay homemakers for taking care of children because children are brought into this world as a result of the love between two loving adults and abiding by God’s will. With that in mind, you cannot put a price on parenting.
15:15 Elizabeth Eapen: No price can be attached to looking after children well. Anything to which a price tag is attached loses its value.
15:15 Rakhi Kapur: If we are taking wages from our spouses for parenting, then definitely, when we are old and dependent on our children, they will start asking us for a share in the family income so that they can sustain us as a part of their lifestyle!
15:15 Urmila Santosh: For the sake of discussion, let’s assume it is the mother who is the spouse staying at home to take care of the children. A mother’s role can never be summarised in one line and neither can her contribution be valued in any monetary currency of the world.
15:16 Gulf News: Bringing up children is a management job – Margaret Thatcher
15:17 Madhu Madan: It is not a job — but the art or skill of managing. According to me, it is a skill that calls for multitasking and the ability to function amidst constant distractions. Skills involve motivating, encouraging, planning in coordinating your children’s events, activities, and studying. However,if you know the art of parenting, you will do well at work as parenting requires many skills, which can be needed in the workplace as well.
15:18 Urmila Santosh: It takes a village to raise a child — this is an ancient saying and it holds a world of meaning. Man is a social animal. A child needs everyone around them and with that in mind, it is more of a team effort. Parenting is teamwork and requires team effort and in that sense, it is a management job.
15:19 Rakhi Kapur: It is really more of a teamwork. It is very difficult for a single parent to do this all on his or her own. Coordination and planning is a management job — the husband, wife, and child is responsible in the outcome of a fruitful day!
15:19 Elizabeth Eapen: Yes, a good mother can be used as a classic example of good management. A good mother calls into play a variety of skills — nurturing, fostering team work, team spirit and delegation are a few of them.
15:20 Richard Kamanyiro: I agree that bringing up children is a management job because if the children are not managed and brought up well as per the yardstick of society, then the parents will be considered to have failed, just like a company that is not doing well will not see the light of day.
15:21 Urmila Santosh: I agree with Elizabeth. A mother holds many roles at once and she binds the structure of the home together.
15:21 Elizabeth Eapen: The result of such good management are children who are well rounded, firmly rooted in sound values and are confident to meet the challenges of the world.
15:24 Madhu Madan: Parenting is a beautiful, God given, moral responsibility that we must fulfil with utmost care, love and affection. It should never be compared to any job.
15:25 Urmila Santosh: Let’s not ignore the importance of a supportive spouse here because without my husband by my side, I would not have been able to raise my sons the way I am doing now.
Facebook comments:
Indeed, it is not a job, it is a responsibility that we owe to our children. It’s not a favour but the greatness of parents and their love for their children.
From Mr Waqas Amir
UAE
Parenting is not a job. Yes, parenting is a tough task mixed with a lot of emotions and physical work. But we should never think of it as a job, because irrespective of how hard it is, we all enjoy each and every moment of parenthood.
From Ms Meera Binu
UAE
It is a highly enjoyable and a rewarding experience — that is what parenting is to me.
From Ms Shoba Subramanian
UAE
Being a mother is an experience that cannot be expressed in words. To do anything for your children is not a job but happiness.
From Ms Rajkumari Ahuja
Dubai
— Compiled by Donia Jenabzadeh/Community Web Editor
