The article that was provided in the link is very interesting. Indeed I got a bit of a giggle as I recognised a few points. I am afraid I am probably far too quick to say "you're supposed to do it like this". Eg, when washing dishes, work through from the cleanest things to the dirtiest - glasses first, then plastic containers, then plates, then cutlery, then pots. Also hanging clothes on the line - hang them this way up and smooth out the wrinkles and straighten collars. My husband hates it! Funnily enough, I learnt most of my domestic habits from my father, who is anal about "the right way", and contends that he taught my mother how to do the housework properly. He also slept beside the cot of each of his 3 children, then slept on the floor with them when they got too big for the cot. We went out to work with him (on the farm) from a very young age (basically as soon as we could walk), though he usually only took one at a time.

The reference to the tv ad where baby's first word is ma-ma, made me laugh though. Really, it is well known that most children's first word is da-da. My 18mo still rarely says Mum - its more da da da da da da da da da, running round in excited circles. Reminds me of my own childhood - Mum did the boring stuff and doled out the discipline, Dad was fun. Perhaps, given that baby's first word is normally da-da, this ad was a gentle joke with women, who knew better.

Everyone on this list is trying to come to terms with identity and, in this case, maternity. Identity is gained from a number of places: parents, race, geography, religion, intellect, history, physical skill, social role. When the basis for our identity disappears, there seems to be at least four responses. 1. Find a new basis and grow into the new identity, 2. Cling to something in our life that gives us a sense of identity, 3. Depression, and 4. Schizophenia. I'm relying on research on immigrant youth in Europe that has found the immigrant women, with their social roles intact, get depressed and the men, with the loss of their identity, become schizophenic. Mothering is a social role. How do we retain our social identity as e.g. an independent profesional, while responding to the inevitable physical process of pregnancy and birthing, a process that cannot be negotiated with? I have found that if we "go with the process", it gives a sense of achievement (note the process requires surrender, not control) that empowers us for life. The birth of each baby is like a portal to a new social identity for all the family and closely related friends.

Maternal Gatekeeping has a very simple explanation. Essentially, the term says it all.

A gatekeeper has power of admission therefore CONTROL.

Pretty simple really, personal rationalisations, justifiactions and denials aside.

I think the governments patriarchical (dunno how to spell it) attitude is vulgar!

The government are making womens lives so hard! Half way into last year they have made mums who have a child above the age of 7 look for part time work!I mean, how stupid is the government? There are so many mothers out there who have to now look for work and they all want to apply for the same time slot of 9-3pm! Not just that but some have been mothers for so long that their qualifications arent recognised or they have been out of work for too long and will need extra training,for some, age is against them. As well the mothers may earn less by working than they would on their centrelink payment!so the governmetn are making things worse for the women and better for themselves.

While the government are making mothers on benefits look for work, they are also encouraging other women in the work force to leave and have children! how stupid!They are giving a payment incentive of 5K and it increases each year!So if they think that they are saving money by forcing mums on benefits to look for work, they are totally deluded, they are probably losing more in fact!

Then those who leave the work force to have a child will be in the same situation as those on centrelink.

The government are doing jack when it comes to child care expenses as yeah ok they might have the child care rebate but then the child care centres are just increasing their prices from say $75 per day to say $100 so the rebate is ineffective.
Then the government are trying to make women go for couselling before having an abortion! how stupid! and whats even more ridiculous is that they make the counselling chiristian based only

Paying the bills (daddy govt) is what patriarchs do.

Sometimes they stop.

Patria... damned if ya do, damned if ya dont.

Carey Roberts wrote an interesting article

http://www.newswithviews.com/Roberts/carey138.htm
THE FEMINIZATION OF POVERTY.

"When economist Victor Fuchs of the National Bureau of Economic Research combed through the figures from the 1970s, he concluded: “Statistical decomposition of the changes shows that an increase in the proportion of women in households without men was the principal source of feminization of poverty.”

Translation: Divorce places a woman at risk of becoming impoverished."

" When widespread divorce and social discord ensue, the Gender Guerillas then blame the whole mess on patriarchal society, leaving behind no marks or fingerprints.

Think about it -- it’s the perfect crime. That’s the genius of radical feminism."