– And the fathers? –
On a slightly less strident note, the book “Doing Away With Mothers” – which was serialised by the respected weekly Die Zeit – argued that “traditional” motherhood was being “devalued” by the push for women to contribute to the economy.
The media, meanwhile, swing wildly between calls to “offer other images of motherhood” that are less self-sacrificing, and taunts against “whining” young women who are obsessed with their own fulfilment.
“These children are the parasites of well-being. They are disturbing mummy in her search for herself,” Die Zeit wrote sarcastically.
Remarkably, the idea of doing more to bring fathers into the mix has not really caught on. A recent study by the DIW economic institute found that even women who work full time do three hours of housework per day, exponentially more than the men in their lives.
Meanwhile, some women have opted to stay out of the “mummy wars” entirely, defending their right not to have children rather than waging daily battles about parental roles and career opportunities in Germany.
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