Child-rearing is valuable work

I couldn't understand why the most important work of my life, caring for my children and raising them, was considered a waste of my time and education.

~ Virginia Tapscott 

The value of child-rearing extends beyond individual households. It has far-reaching economic and social consequences.

Raising a young family is a 24/7 job that demands patience, emotional intelligence, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances quickly.

Children challenge parents to grow up and become better citizens who are less reactive, patient, and selfless.

Fortunately, the narrative perpetuating the undervaluation of a stay-at-home parent's work, leading to inadequate support and compensation, is changing.

Feeling safe and loved reduces the need for a pill-for-every-ill

Free children are not easily influenced; the absence of fear accounts for this phenomenon. Indeed, the absence of fear is the finest thing that can happen to a child. 

~ Alexander Sutherland Neill

Our two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter, who is very active, fell and hurt herself the other day. I rushed over to comfort her, asking how she felt. Her reaction was priceless.

She said, my thumb hurts a little bit. She then kissed it, claiming that she could heal herself.

She is developing a sense of empowerment, recognizing that healing starts from within.

Although, on occasion, she succumbs to whatever is going around at pre-school, she has never needed any prescription or over-the-counter medication. Neither has her younger sister. We count our blessings.

She does have some fears, as do all toddlers who need cues of safety to thrive. 

With presence, words, and actions, we remind her often that she is safe. She is strong. She is loved. She is healthy. This is the foundation of a healthy mindset.

Overcoming the mental health crisis in children and youth

You’ve probably heard that anxiety and depression are “brain disorders” that must be treated with psychotropic medication. That’s closer to a pharmacological marketing slogan than settled science. 

~ Erica Komisar, LCSW

Childcare is one of the least glamorous and most labour-intensive jobs. Not many parents, or would-be parents, choose to do it themselves. 

Partly because of a lack of support, indoctrination, and shaming, many can hardly wait to get back to work. But, the presence of a patient, loving, nurturing mom or dad during the child’s formative years, is essential for mental health.

Having felt diminished at times for choosing to forego a lucrative career to stay home to raise my children, I still feel a twinge of pain when I hear people ask young moms when they will return to work - as if what they do is not valuable or work.

Thankfully, the narrative that child-rearing is a natural extension of women’s domestic roles, rather than a legitimate profession is changing. 

Recent research and shifting societal attitudes are challenging this narrative, recognizing child care as valuable work that deserves respect and recognition.

Closing thought

Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future. 

~ John F. Kennedy

It is encouraging to see a change in the narrative. Child-rearing is valuable work that deserves recognition, respect, and support.