Minding the home-vs.-work balance
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While I agree with columnist Ruth Marcus that more women than men take on household responsibilities in general ["The Nobel for brisket goes to . . .," op-ed, Oct. 28], I don't think this is only because women feel compelled to live up to the standards set by their mothers. I blame the flawed support systems within workplaces for this situation.
Because most workplaces don't allow many options for parents to take time off for raising children, taking on the role of primary caregiver requires making certain sacrifices in one's career. With women already opting to stall their careers when they choose to have children, it makes sense for the same parent to continue to bear a majority of the responsibilities as her child grows older. Switching the responsibilities or equalizing them would contribute to halting the careers and decreasing the income of both parents, rather than just one.
The best solution is to pass legislation giving working parents more flexibility within their jobs to better distribute household chores and the duties of raising children.
Shanika Yapa, Washington
