There's no place like... work?

In class this month we have been discussing a woman's place constantly.  I even found myself pushing women into stereotypes.  The Awakening by Kate Chopin brought this stereotype to the surface for me.  I was appalled that a woman could dismiss her children and her husband and leave behind her life.  On the other hand I could understand her struggle she was trapped in a world with no power and no way take her life into her own hands unless she, literally, took her own life.  There is the argument that no matter what a woman should never leave her children, it is her duty to take care of them; it is almost laughable to think another way. In fact, it is laughable.  I remember when I was a child I watched a movie; its genre was comedy; its title Daddy Daycare.  I do not remember all of the details but the main point was that a man had to take care of children and he had absolutely no idea what to do.  He did not want this job, the tides were against him, and it was his misfortune.  Of course like most movies it had a cute happy ending where he figured everything out but the main idea was a man being a stay at home dad is comedy.  If a woman was at home with her children our superego would not bat an eye.  A Dolls House changed my opinion on the place of women.  Before I found myself falling into the stereotype where women should take care of their children always and forever.  Afterwards I realized it was very important for a woman to take care of herself before her children.  A woman's place is not to become the perfect mother; her best chance to be a good mother is to know herself.  A child can not learn from a mother that does not respect herself.  If the mothers desire is to go to work, then her children will respect her for doing so much.