Hellobee Boards

I didn't read the article, but I hate her based on that statement alone.

ugh, how about being a father is a man's most important job? I read in the NYT that the guy who ghost-wrote Trump's "autobiography" stated in an interview that he spent absolutely no time with his kids when they were young, and the few times Ivanna brought them around the office he couldn't have been less interested.

Is being a parent a huge part of my identity and my top priority as an individual? Yes. (Notice I said parent, because if I was male being a father would be just as important to me as being a mother is to me as a female.)

Is a woman's--meaning ALL women, regardless of whether or not they currently have or are planning to have children--most important job being a mother? No. I believe parenthood should be a choice individuals make for themselves, and that one's identity and priorities aren't determined by biological sex.

Obviously not all women are mothers or want to be mothers so this is ridiculous. I do think being a parent is a parent's most important job but I believe it is equal for both parents. Even in a family where one parent works and the other is primarily with the children, in my opinion the working parent's number one should always be family.

I agree it may be the most important job to the individual woman herself, but I don't think it's inherently, objectively the most important. Let's say a woman has a job through which she literally saves lives. Is raising one, two, etc. kids really more important than saving numerous lives? Because Ivanka's quote is that it's the most important job a woman CAN have.

So, I do think that in my life, the most important thing I will do is to raise, sculpt and influence my child(ren) - - if I have children. It is a requirement of me as a parent, NOT as a woman.

I find that comments like Ivanka's are almost always paired with nasty anti-feminist undercurrents, just like "family values" comments rarely have much at all to do with promoting and uplifting families.

I think her statement was probably poorly worded. Worded as is, I disagree with it.

I think her sentiment was probably that for a mother, being a mother is the most important job. She didn't say only job.
*ETA: I HOPE that was her sentiment. I shouldn't say probably.

I haven't read the article but the first thing that popped into my head is that I'm 99% sure they had an army of help including nannies. I definitely don't think having help makes you less of a parent but I think it is easier with that level of help changes the game a bit. I heard Trump in an interview say something about being willing to have more kids because he would just hire more nannies, the fact that his answer wasn't "my wife is so amazing with our children and has raised lovely people." kind of gave me the impression they both went exactly hands on parents.

Being a nanny and interviewing with (never accepting this type of post though) some very, very well to do and high profile people who were incredibly hands off parents had kind of made me skeptical. Parenting opinions of people who barely parent aren't worth much to me.

Edit- well clearly I went off half cocked there. This wasn't from his wife but rather his daughter, I have no clue what kind of parent any of them really are but I can't say I have much respect for any of their opinions on women's issues.

@catomd00: 100% yes. I agree with @yoursilverling: too, that as a parent it's a huge role and responsibility to shape and influence a child and that the gravity of that isn't lost on me and because of that it's my most important job and I really think it should be any parent's.

I think some are taking the phrase a little too literally - I don't think she was asserting that all women need to be mothers at all.

I don't think it is the most important job. It is important, but so is my work (I am the only income), and my relationship with my family (husband, parents, in-laws).

All of these are extremely important to me and some will be more important at times than others.

@josina: I think it's actually think it's worse to make statements like hers when you're talking about maternity leave policies. Why does she have to discount or rank the importance of the duties working mothers have? There are plenty of arguments to make to employers of how providing mat leave will benefit them, or benefit society on the whole (financially and otherwise); I don't think it's a persuasive argument to offer that the work your female employees do should be second in importantance to any other work.

I think it insinuates that female workers will give less than 100%, because their "most important" work lies at home.

I like Ivanka. She does a great service for women who choose to be working moms. However, quotes like this are quite irritating. Yes, I take my responsibility to raise a decent human being, but my life's mission was not to be a mom.

Agree with others that for me and DH being a parent is the most important job of our lives. But totally disagree that being a mom/dad is the most important job for every person.

Our kids are our top priority - more important than anything in our careers/jobs. We would walk away from a big promotion if for some reason our kids needed us to be with them (health condition etc). Of course a job allows us to provide for our kids so that is part of being a good parent. For me, at the end of my life I would regret failing my kids at the expense of my job/career but I would never regret not being the most successful at my job bc I chose to be there for my kids. Raising my kids to be kind and happy and equipping them to lead fulfilling lives is more important than any other job to me.

I believe that the most important thing a parent will do is shape his/her hildren.

I believe that the idea that "being a parent s the most important job ever" attitude causes parents to be over involved and to derive too much of their own identity out of their experience as parents. In short, if you derive your identity from being a parent you put too much pressure on your child to live up to that weight.

My feeling is, I am not responsible FOR my children as much as I am TO my children.

For me, focusing solely on parenting brings feelings of anxiety and depression. I said to my mom (a lifelong SAHM), if I can't bring my best to my kids, I want them to have someone else's best. So for me, part of being a good mom is knowing when I'm over investing in the role and pushing back from that.