"Mom, Dad--Where Are You?"

Rich Lowry in his most recent column, writes about a new book, Home-Alone America, by Mary Eberstadt, which confronts the problem of absent dads, working moms, latch-key kids and the inherent problems those three elements may cause in society:

Mary Eberstadt has written an unwelcome book. That doesn't make it any less important or less necessary. But many people will want to look the other way. In "Home-Alone America," (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.) Eberstadt confronts us with the consequences of a revolution in American parenting that has left children increasingly deprived of time-- or any relationship at all-- with their mothers and fathers.

This revolution has two causes: "The first is the divorce/illegitimacy explosion-- or what might be called the absent-father problem. The second is what is often the flip side of that explosion, working motherhood-- or the absent-mother problem-- which is sometimes a real choice and sometimes not." Eberstadt exposes the nasty underside of the emphasis on the "lifestyle choices" and personal fulfillment of adults-- at the expense of their kids.

A thought-provoking topic (hopefully). What are the answers to this problem? Well, there are easy solutions before the fact (that is, before divorce, before mom has to go to work, before dad splits); after the fact is when life becomes problematic. It would be so much better to keep the family intact and let mom stay at home. But that is much too simplistic, maybe insensitive and probably way too moralistic! Be sure to read the rest of Lowry's piece.