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Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Time for Coffee Talk! Commencement speaker tells Women: "Stay at Home"
Audience inspired, irked by commencement speech telling women that mothering is biggest contribution
Speaker tells students to focus on family, not job
GREENTOWN, Ind. - The commencement speech given at Eastern High School in Greentown, Ind., Sunday inspired some and irked others. Social studies teacher Peter Heck gave the speech, which encouraged the graduates to put family first, but his comments about women in the workplace caused a stir: "I challenge you to devote yourself to your families and your children. If you choose to have a career, God's blessings upon you. But I challenge you to recognize what the world scoffs at, that your greatest role in your life will be that of wife and mother. The greatest impact you could ever contribute to our world is a loving investment in the lives of your precious children. To solve the problems plaguing our society, we don't need more women CEOs. We need more women as invested mothers." His remarks didn't sit well with some who attended the ceremony. "It jumped out at me that he said they shouldn't pursue a professional career," said junior Corey Parton. "Maybe that's not how he meant it. Maybe he does want women to be successful and get a college degree, but it was a little out of place." Student Zach Patterson's grandmother was not nearly as forgiving. "My grandmother was dead-set against it," Patterson said. "She believes that women should work as hard as they can and still have successful careers in the workplace and not go back to the past where they are just housewives, basically." In a phone interview with RTV6, Heck defended his comments and said he addressed the male and female students similarly. "I was addressing both the ladies in the audience and the men, stressing to them that the most important role any of us will ever have is the role that we play in our families," Heck said. "I challenged the men by telling them that to solve the problems of our society, we don?t need more millionaire entrepreneur men. We need more men acting as fierce defenders of their wives and providers for their children. "I was simply saying to the women as well that the most important role they will ever have? is investing in the lives of your children and raising them." Heck added that he did not intend to discourage the female students from pursuing careers. "If that's what those girls there in the audience want to do, by golly, that's what they should do," he said. There were many in the audience who embraced Heck's message. "It was good that he said that," said junior Marina Swaggerty. "Parents need to be there for their kids. Lately people are getting too into their jobs and not caring enough about their kids, and they are failing through high school." Swaggerty's mother, Lisa Swaggerty, was moved by Heck's message. "Our children at Eastern High School know they need to pursue a career, they need to be family-oriented. That is what this community is about," Lisa Swaggerty said. "I was very appreciative of the morality he talked about with the kids. I thought he was fantastic." Heck was the senior class sponsor and, according to his website, is a conservative motivational speaker and a radio talk show host. RTV6 reached out to Superintendent Tracy Caddell to get his thoughts on the speech, but he was not in his office and did not return our calls.
My three sons!
Re: Time for Coffee Talk! Commencement speaker tells Women: "Stay at Home"
I don't know if I could have been that quiet - the journalist in me might have turned it into a Q&A session!
Amber - what I find interesting, personally, is that up until this past year, I have had a great balance of work and personal life/Momhood. It was this first school year that threw me for a loop; now I find that I do want to spend more time at home. Life is so incredibly hectic and I found MY stress was rubbing off on the kids - Gavin especially.
While I do find some credibility to the "advice" given, I think that raising children is a team effort - whether it be from family, friends, neighbors, teachers, etc. Why this teacher would stress it being all about Mom's responsibility (with Dad providing) really is concerning and upsetting in today's age.
My three sons!
I just....I can't...whaaaaa....just....
Jake - 1.15.08
Liam - 5.17.11
I was really fired up that it was only towards women but he does claim that he talked about guys too at least.
but regardless I'm just so SICK of the anti-working parent attitude that is still so pervasive! He acts like his stance is the minority and I don't feel that way at all. I was just talking to my mom last night about how bizarre it is that people still are shocked that 2 parents work in a family. I said I couldn't imagine how things were back when I was a kid for her. I just don't get it nowadays. With the economy the way it is it should not be a surprise that both parents work.
And I cannot even get into the thoughts behind the fact that you can't focus on your kids if you work.
uh, for the tax credit... duh! Plus she is pretty good at dusting too.
I'm teaching mine to put groceries away after shopping. She's gotta start pulling her weight at some point:P
I try to do this; Jake is pretty helpful, but Liam just starts tearing into the food and wants to eat everything.
Jake - 1.15.08
Liam - 5.17.11
He addressed the males and females similarly? By telling the men to be defenders of their wives and providers to their children? Bullsh!t.
I am so tired of the fact that parenting is constantly viewed as the Mother's priority and the Dad can just go about his business and do whatever he wants without being questioned or judged.
Ding ding ding! Couldn't say it any better myself!
My three sons!
"your greatest role in your life will be that of wife and mother. The greatest impact you could ever contribute to our world is a loving investment in the lives of your precious children"
I happen to agree with this for myself, but feeling that way is not mutually exclusive with working outside of the home. And what people who don't or can't have children?
And maybe we DO need more women CEOs, if they are the kind who value family time and work/life balance. Most working moms I know would love to have flexible schedules, but many don't work in companies where the leadership is supportive of it.