A remarkably narrow-minded and short-sighted editorial in the Ottawa Citizen on that Unicef report mentioned here yesterday. I especially take issue with this bit:
The time for ideological debates are long past. Most parents of young children are in the workforce and they need and deserve high quality, accessible daycare. UNICEF has usefully reminded us that such a system does not currently exist in Canada.
The time for ideological debates rarely goes away. On most subjects there is usually room to disagree and argue on an ongoing basis. I would think child care is very much among those. And the fact that “most parents of young children are in the workforce” is not a reason to stop wondering whether that’s a good thing. Quite the contrary.
by 
Though I understand that sometimes finances demand that both parents work, I am eternally grateful that my mother quit work when I was born and was a stay-at-home mom for my entire childhood. We’ve always had a very close bond that has been the strongest and most sustaining force in my life, no disrespect meant to my dad or longtime boyfriend, both of whom have loved me and helped me in ways that are indespensible.
My mom was always there when I needed her. I didn’t have to wait until she got home from work, and while she definitely maintained her own interests, I always felt as though my well-being was her top priority. I always felt it was my dad’s top priority too, but the way they expressed that was different. I think I needed a parent to do what my mom did and a parent to do what my dad did. At the moment I’m further along in my education than my boyfriend is in his, and we’re not getting married until he gets his degree because I want to be a stay-at-home mom too. I don’t want to be in a financial situation where we both have to go back to work. My cousin had a baby in August and is going back to work soon and I don’t know how on earth someone could stand to do that with a baby that little.
Sorry for the long comment! Just got talky (typey?), I guess.
Marauder, from one of your country’s next-door neighbor states
It’s always been a part of the feminazi hype that a woman must advance her career to the de-prioritization of her children and family. There are countless examples of women who got their education, then put their careers on hold until their children were successfully reared and independent. These children had the greatest advantage not only of being nurtured by the one who cared most about them, but who was also the one who had a fine education with which to assist them intellectually in their formative years.
In a normal, 2-parent family, there IS plenty of time after raising children to focus on developing one’s own interests and career. All it takes is being active and involved throughout the few years one is actually involved in that particular task. If motherhood is undertaken during her 20s, then a woman still has 25 or more years to pursue “otherhood” if she thinks it important or necessary.