June 18th, 2015

My high horse

by Terri Libenson

Since Pajama Diaries’ inception in 2004 (mind you, it didn’t launch until ’06), I’ve kept the strip pretty apolitical. But I’ve been consistent about cross-party social issues…especially when it comes to parental rights in the U.S.

(click to enlarge:)

I’ve done a LOT of reading over the years…from “Perfect Madness” to a jillion news articles and the like. The only thing that’s really changed is I’ve gotten more bitchy upset about the lack of progress.

Oh sure, some things have improved. Millennial dads are picking up the slack on the domestic front. The Mommy Wars are winding down. I think my beef isn’t so much with parents themselves…it’s with the lack of support system FOR parents. That much has not improved.

It doesn’t help the over-parenting craze, either. Not only are people expected to shuttle their kids to a million activities while working full-time…they are expected to mold perfect children (because in this hyper-competitive society, our kids have to be “perfect” to keep up).

So the one thing that’s changed in the strip is that I’m starting to focus less on the “women vs. other women vs. men” angle and more on the “we’re in this together as parents” angle. Yes, sometimes I still delve into the “domestic responsibility unfairness” stuff — let’s face it, in general women still do most of the domestic work — but honestly, that’s starting to take a back seat now.

Equal pay, maternity and paternity leave, flex time, part-time rights and on-site daycare are obvious solutions that will grant better quality of life to ALL families in the U.S. It’s really a no-brainer, if only the powers that be could grow some…

…brains.

Anyhoo…I will now step off my high horse. That is, until I write my next preachy strip. Then I will climb back in the saddle and ride again.