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Status is... for Middle-class 8-year-olds:
A Stay-At-Home Mom

   
By Amy Finnerty

Excerpt from November 15, 1998, New York Times Magazine article on “Status”

Full text of article may be purchased at www.nytimes.com (archive) 

“. . .when 70 percent of mothers work, a stay-at-home mom has become the ultimate trophy, reflecting prosperity and proving to the children that they are, in fact, the center of the universe.”

“Wherever children convene, she's selflessly there with a juice box, Kleenex, empty egg cartons for the class collage. . .”

“For the current batch of post-feminist children, working mothers. . .are a fact of life. But ask them what Mom does at work all day and you're likely to be met with a blank stare. Because that which enhances prestige in the grown-up world -- degrees, money, stylish clothes, power -- fails to register on their radar. Indeed, a recent survey of 6- to 17-year-olds by the Whirlpool Foundation revealed that out of 15 possible characteristics of the ''ideal'' mother, having an important job was ranked 14th.”

“. . .A 6-year-old gave extra credit for outdoor activities: ‘The coolest mom. . . is Connor's. . .I don't think she has a job. She cooks.’ Another offered: ‘She cooks and plants flowers.’ Jamie, 5, summed up: ‘I'd just want her to be with me all the time and do everything for me.’
       
Copyright 1998 The New York Times Company