For the first four months of college, I unknowingly did my loads of laundry incorrect every time. No one ever told me that you weren’t supposed to drizzle the laundry detergent over the clothes in the machine. Recently, I almost set my dorm on fire because I didn’t know how long to put my popcorn in the microwave for. Apparently, two minutes and thirty seconds turns 100-calorie popcorn bags into flaming bags of ashes. For me, making my bed seems more like a hardcore cardio workout rather than a simple housekeeping duty. I would choose ordering in pizza any day over having to cook for myself. I would rather spend my time being productive at a job than sitting at home. And the only thing I plan on raising any time in the near future is my GPA and salary.
As old-school as it may seem to me, many college women are still forming their career paths and majors around their future hypothetical children that they will one day need to bring to school and soccer practice, and that is perfectly fine. But, that does not mean that a woman with a different future in mind is any less desirable.
Society has even labeled this future trophy-wife quality and stay-at-home mom status as “wifey type.” But, what does that even mean? Does an image of a woman in a suit, scrubs or other professional uniform come to mind when men describe this “wifey type?” Or are they only envisioning a woman with perfectly groomed hair and a pastel apron, greeting her husband with a home-cooked meal after a long day of cleaning and playing with the kids? There is no real objective answer to this, but I think it is worth noting that the former image of a woman should be just as “wifey type” capable as the latter.
According to the Pew Research Center, for the first time in three decades, there has been an increase in stay-at-home moms. A 6-percent increase now makes a total of 29 percent of women in America labeled as stay-at-home moms. Studies show this does not necessarily mean women want to stay home, but that socioeconomic conditions are making them forced to do so.
This has lead to a current image of stay-at-home moms struggling with finances and wiping out the entire idea of the perfectly manicured mother holding a fresh home-cooked meal. Perhaps in this day’s economy, instead of women seeking this American Dream ideal of a white picket fence and two children, women should aim for a profession that can bring financial security and then let a family or marriage ensue afterwards.
I will most likely continue burning popcorn in the microwave, and I may never learn how to properly fold clothes. A man wouldn’t want me greeting him with freshly baked cookies, unless they were pre-made from a Publix bakery. My future doesn’t have me frolicking around in an apron, but rather a business suit. The world is changing, so our ideals of what a desirable woman is should be changing as well. Most real women don’t yearn for a life that resembles the front page of a housekeeping magazine, because let’s be honest, no one looks that happy to be slicing up fruit.