Work-At-Home Mom Doesn’t Like Obama’s Childcare Tax Credit Because It Means Nothing For Her

mom working

Are you in the mood for a rage read this morning? I sure hope so, because boy do I have the goods. Or, the “goodies”, according to Joy Pullman. She is the author of what might be one of the most ridiculous and offensive essays I have ever read. She wrote it in response to President Obama’s childcare tax credit that he spoke of in his State of the Union address earlier this week. Her stance is that because she and her husband were able to make their family operate without using childcare, that ALL families should be able to. And she does not see why her tax dollars should support people who didn’t make the sacrifices she did. My brain hurts- please join me so I’m not alone.

I am going to insert some choice quotes here from her piece in The Federalist and go to town:

We just felt a compelling, irresistible responsibility for that little boy, that we must be the ones to respond to his (many) night-time cries, and personally introduce him to colors, touch, sound, movement, and love””just as I had done for him while he was in my womb. When he had his first heartbeat, I was there. When he had his first breath, both mom and dad were there. And we refused to leave.

Sure. Because working parents who utilize daycare feel no such “compelling, irresistible responsibility” to always be there. Or, you know, they thought it pertinent to get their bills paid. Same difference, really.

That decision required my husband to keep a crappy, low-wage job far beneath his abilities because it let him work nights and weekends, meaning he could care for our child while I was at work. (My super-generous Catholic boss allowed me to work from home several afternoons a week post-baby, which made the schedules just work for us.)

So now, she freely admits that she was lucky enough to have a boss who made the schedules work for them. Guess what? My boss when I worked outside of the home was nothing even close to flexible! He couldn’t be, the hours were what they were. Not every job can be done from home, lady.

It required us each to rush home after work instead of enjoying networking and relaxing with colleagues over a drink or meal. It required us to stay home on weekends, and forget date nights, movies in the theater, eating out, all those little American luxuries. But we did it, and it was the right thing. We felt this was one way we chose to love our child. And it made our high-touch, heavy-nursing momma’s boy very fat and happy.

Oh, good Lord. Yes, we did that too- the skipping date nights and movies in the theater and, guess why? Because we were spending TONS of money on daycare and could barely afford a pizza! Which brings us to her next bit of what-the-fuck:

Our arrangement didn’t generate so many tax revenues for President Obama’s high-tax, big-government planned economy. Maybe that’s why he declared non-parent child-care a ”must-have” in Tuesdays’ State of the Union speech: ”It’s not a nice-to-have””it’s a must-have. It’s time we stop treating childcare as a side issue, or a women’s issue, and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us.”

 

Is she punking us? Does she really not realize that Obama declared non-parent childcare a “must-have” because not all parents have a “super generous Catholic boss” who will let them work from home? It gets worse, if you can believe it- hang on tight:

Mr. President, I don’t give a damn about national economic priorities for other people. I am concerned with my family’s priorities for our children. Huge chunks of time spent with people who are not their parents makes my three little people depressed, anxious, and disruptive. Watch that turn into depressed, anxious, non-productive young adults. Watch it turn into medicated, emotionally troubled citizens. Oh, that costs society a lot of money, too? Well, I still don’t give a damn. Because I don’t care about society. I care about my children. And parents’ concern for their children first is what keeps society healthy, entirely naturally and with no costly social reconstruction programs needed.

A lot to address here. Firstly, if her precious snowflakes have only known the care of their momma, how does she know that they are depressed, anxious and disruptive in the care of others? And God, how absolutely ignorant (like most of what she said) to say that you don’t care about society. Honey, you are part of society, as are your special snowflakes. Your family cannot exist inside of a vacuum and you should definitely care about society if you want your children to grow up in a decent world. When my kids were in childcare, my concern was totally for them first- that is why we paid an insane amount of money for the childcare center we felt would best suit their needs at great financial sacrifice to ourselves. What a ridiculous notion- that the only way to put your children first is to never allow anyone else to care for them.

I choose to give up a nearly three-figure income in my mid-twenties, at great personal and professional inconvenience, to give my devilish, glorious children the gift of their own mommy’s hand on their owies and her own voice reading them real books, in person.

I had to include this quote solely to highlight the fact that in an otherwise serious essay, this woman used the word “owies.” Reading that gave me major Douche-Chills. Moving on:

Not only that, they’re going to make me pay for it. First, economically: As the loser in a system of government preferences, I have to pay for goodies for other people that aren’t goodies for me.  Second, socially: I have to hold my head high as a woman who sticks to her innate criteria for love and justice while the president of the free world takes to international television to bash me for having criteria that don’t match those of an egotistical, money-focused alpha male.

Oh my. Ok, first of all, I know I pay for “goodies” (VOMIT) that I don’t get to take advantage of myself and I am perfectly fine with it. I pay for the repair of roads I may never drive on. I pay for people to have money for food that I don’t get to eat. Once my kids graduate, I will continue paying for public schools our family will no longer attend. It’s just what we do. And as far as holding her head high? Yeah, I’m pretty sure ALL moms are trying to do that while sticking to their innate criteria for love, justice and also, a roof over their children’s heads and clothes on their backs.

Some parents are on their own and don’t have the option to stay at home. Some just love to work and know that it keeps them sane and makes them a better parent. For whatever reason, society should be supporting them by making daycare more affordable. I know far too many parents who don’t see it worth it to work because of how much childcare costs and that is shameful for us as a society. Lastly, I really don’t see how this initiative is “bashing” her as a working stay-at-home mom. I think it’s just recognizing that most parents are not as fortunate as she with the option to work from home. She needs to stop talking until she understands that.

(Image: /Shutterstock)

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