One of my favorite bloggers, Stacy McDonald (co-author of Passionate Housewives Desperate for God) recently wrote a fantastic article about how to protect our growing daughters. Enjoy it and let me know what you think.
One of my favorite bloggers, Stacy McDonald (co-author of Passionate Housewives Desperate for God) recently wrote a fantastic article about how to protect our growing daughters. Enjoy it and let me know what you think.
8 comments:
Very interesting way of thinking in keeping the daughters home til they get married... I agree and then I disagree(b/c I did love my college experience, and I don't tend to think that women don't need jobs before kids--I don't think they have to have them, but I don't think it's wrong).
I agree with her when she says that this is not in the bible, specifically spelled out, like homeschooling isn't either, you do have to make a decision based on what God is telling you, through His word and prayer. She believes the things she does are the best(if not the only) way to go based on scriptureas a child of Christ. So we likewise must seek His ways for us and our family through His word and through Him speaking to you.
Overall, I think that this shakes our traditional way of thinking(well, traditional now in 2008), which may not be a bad idea--b/c the ways of 2008 are often conformed to the tradition of the world and not to God.
I will still have to think and muse on this some more. Ginger, I'd love to hear your view point:) on this.
Karen,
The article didn't say that women don't need jobs, in fact she said that her daughter has started a home business. I also loved my college experience. I love learning and I loved being around friends 24/7. Truth be told, I could have gained the same knowledge at my local library, minus all the feminist teaching. Oh and minus all the student loan debt.
As a result of my college training, I experienced firsthand the trap that my degree put me in. I felt guilty working and being away from my kids, but I also felt guilty staying home with my precious disciples and not using my degree. I hope my daughters never have to experience that. These days, with the internet, college degrees aren't as necessary as they once were for success. And even if they were, I don't want to groom my daughters for careers. I want to prepare them for motherhood. They can make good money without forcing themselves to choose between a career and motherhood.
I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments of Mrs. McDonald.
Our long term goal for our daughters is motherhood. If we train them with the expectation of college, then they will eventually have to choose between their degree and motherhood. Having seen Ginger's struggle, I don't want that for my precious girls.
Besides, they're all so good-looking, I want them at home where I can protect them from harm. ;)
I see your points(K&G):). I know that both of you really do train your girls and boys to be Godly mothers and fathers and that is great!
On the topic of the degrees and money and college feminism...
I love to teach, did then and do now, so I wanted and needed my degree to do so in a school environment, and later I didn't mind not using it when I entered motherhood. I do remember a comment made by someone that if I had kids right away then it would be sad to not use my degree...sad that people think that way. But, for the money we pay for college--I can see why they would want to be wise with their investment.
I think you and I both use our degrees or information gained by the experience(just b/c we have kids and can implement what we know and use it)--we just don't get paid in a monetary form:).
I do remember one class that leaned toward feminism, but most of my classes weren't, and for that I am glad:). I am sorry that you had to endure that. It's very frustrating to sit under that.
All that said, this is something for me to think and pray on some more.
I think my husband and I have different perspectives from others. I have a degree, am a homemaker, and even while in college (I went to a private, Christian school too), I knew all along that I would be a Homemaker. My husband and I feel the same way towards our girls. We, however, have no intention of sending our girls off to a State U, but even as a Homemaker and Mother, I use the skills I picked up while earning my degree, to this very day.
Some of my Professors even e-mailed to ask if I would write up a little something explaining how I've used my degree while being a Homemaker.
I have a special needs child and rely heavily on my ability to research and present facts to the doctors and therapists I've had to face. While I love to research, I simply did not have very strong skills before college, where I learned how to focus and hone that ability.
I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to attend college--I was not equipped to be able to do some of the things I've done which enables my son to finally receive the help he needs, with nothing more than my high school diploma. As you can imagine, being able to homeschool my kids means that even my five year old knows how to research. She hasn't quite grasped the full picture and won't until she can read and write more, but she is getting there.
I don't regret having my degree, nor did I ever feel trapped. I actually feel free, because of the skills I've learned. I've watched a Psychologist totally blank a woman who was trying to fight for her child's diagnosis and even tell her they would never recommend she homeschool. I've had the same Psychologist listen to every word I've said (bear in mind I did walk in with an Annotated Bibliography of every book I'd read on the subject), took me seriously, and even said, "I never recommend anyone homeschool, but you're different."
I'm not trying to argue that women should be in college--just wanting to say that there are women who are out there who have degrees, knew all along they would be Homemakers and Mothers, and are using their Degrees even in the Home arena. I had to a project once and our Professor said to create something we could use in our career interest. I created a placemat of language trees (it was a Linguistics course), because I said, "I believe I'm Called to be a Mother before I'm Called to a career." I got an A+ on that project.
Liz
I am not very far along in my journey with daughters, but I am raising my girls to be wives and mothers. I also want my girls to live at home until they get married. As far as college, I wouldn't send them out to any schools where they would have to leave home, but if they wanted to take courses in photography, interior design, landscape design, natural medicine or the like, I wouldn't hold them back.
Ainsley has a natural bent towards midwifery and I would encourage that whole-heartedly. I've seen many homeschooling moms take up midwifery after their children are old enough to stay alone.
I'd have to say though, that my main goal in raising my girls is for them to be blessings to their father and their husbands. We will train them in the scripture and protect them until they leave us to start a family of their own.
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."
If the man isn't leaving his father and mother before marriage, why should the woman?
Wonderful post! Thanks for linking it Ginger.
As a woman who was raped TWICE in college and young adult life.....once by a male room mate and once by a male "friend".....this is a subject VERY close to my heart!
I wish I would have understood the blessing of my parents protection instead of rebelling against it. :(
May God bless my daughters with more wisdom then I had.
God bless....Angela
I just skimmed the article and I agree with everything she said.
We are raising our daughters to be wives and mothers, not nurses or lawyers.
College is just an extension of high school - why would I be encouraging my children to go there?
Why spend 18 years protecting them just to turn around and send them off to college?
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