As a woman that still growing up, married and have children, the issue discussed in the article

by Bonnie Fellhoelter, which is the advantages, and disadvantages of being working women

to their children and family attract my attention. She argues that a mother should stay at home

raising their children instead of working. However, as time changing, woman started to work

outside and become as the second income gainer in their family. The author’s purpose of

writing this article is to persuade the readers because she stated firmly that she believe a stay

at home mother can raise their children in good ways. The tone used is concerned and serious

as she attempts to persuade the public especially women in raising their beloved children.

It is totally understandable that a mother should be raising her children own her own because

the mother has been viewed as the nurturer which the one who stay at home and raise the

children. She states that the loss of mother in the home had led to the decline of the family

unit, and thus, to society. This is then causes the children to lack in their morals and values.”

Society truly does begin at home”, asserts Sibyl Niemann, which been stated by the author to

support the point given however, is not a good evidence to support her point.

The author, however support her next point which is no one can take care of the children the

same way his or her mother would. She support it by giving an evidence roughly 80 percent

of parents with children five and younger say a stay-at-home parent is best able to give

children the “affection and attention they need” by a non-partisan Public Agenda survey in

2000. Moreover, she also states that mother’s individual care can also curb the aggression that

is evident in day care centers and keep on going when the children grow up. She support this

by states that “A study done by the Antional Institute of Child Health and Human

Development (NICHD), reports that, kids in non-maternal care tend to be associated with

qualities such as “gets in lots of fight’, “cruelty”, “explosive behavior”, talking too much”,

“argues a lot”, and “demands a lot of attention”.

In contrast, the author also gives some of the benefits of being working mother rather than

stay-at-home mother and does not give any firm evidence on her point. Instead, she is giving

an opinion of others. The claims made by the author which is working women do a fine job of

balancing their jobs with raising successful children. According to Reed Karaim, they are able

to “teach their children how to be independent, inquisitive, and ambitious” as well as “learn

the value of personal fulfillment and goal setting”. Besides, he also proclaims that “successful

working mothers give their children one of the best gifts any parent can: the example of a life

lived to its potential.” The author tells the readers that working mother help to give a better

life to their children because of the dual income. However, she states that she believes that a

stay at home mother also can also teach the same qualities at home instead instilling good

values and morals to their children which for her, it will leaves a feeling as if she have done a

good job.

Once again, the author overcomes the advantage point that she gives as mention in the

paragraph above. She states that working mother may gain extra income and live a tempting

live but it should not affect their relationship as husband and wife. Author supports the

disadvantages she gives by sayings by Steven Rhoads and Lowry who claim that that “men

are more likely to divorce women who are ambitious” and “just the specter of divorce creates

a kind of intra-marital arms race. The wife works to hedge against getting abandoned, but her

very act of working, research shows, makes it more likely that the marriage will fail-a

dismaying downward spiral”.

At last, the author firmly states that being a stay-at-home mother greatly outweigh the

negatives. The self-sacrifice of staying at home to raise ones’ children can be the most

society-enhancing job for a woman can do.

In summary, the author’s argument is weak and unsound due to lack of strong support. She

does not give any evidence on the advantages point. She gives many personal opinions and

lack of facts. Although she managed to show some validity and credibility in some earlier

claims, her overall argument against advantages and disadvantages of working mother is still

unsure.