Times are changing

Half a century ago, only the head of the family went to work and the wife took care of the household and the children. But times have changed. Inasmuch as the present-day young couple are better educated than their parents, with a university degree, women can easily find a job in a large company, so the present- day trend is that both husband and wife work for a living.

Consequently, they are financially better off than their parents. But when the husband and wife work, there are advantages and disadvantages. The children are supervised by domestic help during office hours.

I know of one young couple which best illustrates the situation. Both the husband and wife have a degree in civil engineering from a prestigious university and obtained a MBA degree in America. Therefore, it is not surprising that they both have a well-paid job and live comfortably.

The young mother gave birth to a baby four months ago, and goes home during her lunch break to breast-feed her baby. It is not praiseworthy that the present-day young mother goes to work to alleviate the household burden and at the same time takes care of the children's education. Also, the young mother had a Caesarean operation in preference to delivering the baby naturally.

I know from hearsay that the entrance fee to prestigious schools is very expensive. It would be very burdensome to pay for the children's education if only the head of the household works.

A. DJUANA

Jakarta