I am too old and way too tired and worn out for the mommy wars. I’m a veteran. However, I did finally decide to respond to this PG.
Probably you didn’t mean to compare retirement to being a SAHparent. and I’m sure you didn’t mean to devalue the life work of SAHparents. However, it might read that way to someone who hasn’t been following your posts for years, like I have.
I thought about listing all the tasks many of the SAHparents I know have done and continue to do, even in their “retirement” as caregivers of not only their nuclear families, but their extended families, and their neighbors, but it would take so many pages and might really be off topic. Basically I see these individuals as being frequently taken for granted for taking up the slack for others. Recognizing and appreciating caregivers doesn’t mean not recognizing and appreciating competitors. Society needs both types of individuals to function. Both are important. We can celebrate both. In the best of worlds, we have the opportunity to be both at different life stages.
When you have free time, you have time to give to others. When you have little or no free time, that becomes difficult, if not impossible.