Watching these parenthood presentations I asked myself the same question that was posed to those who had to do the research: how do I see myself as a parent in the future? To be completely honest, the first thought that comes to mind of me in the future is not one of motherhood. I see myself married with no children and working. And I can't help but wonder if that makes me strange, because I don't see myself like all the old paintings or celebrity pictures with the moms holding their babies so dearly and smiling like they swallowed the sun. However, I remember that I wasn't raised in an "ideal" American household, seeing as my family is not American, and that my mom always talked to me about how difficult it is to be a parent.
My case is no different, and I find it ridiculous that women, of any age, should be bombarded with subliminal psycho-implantation of maternal instincts and then be forced to question themselves if and when they realize they don't fit that standard mold. The same goes for men who may actually want to spend time with their children and not work all the time. Why should they question themselves for not fitting the standard mold of a breadwinning father? It makes no sense. I can't even imagine how difficult it must be for people in alternative parenting, particularly for those people who identify themselves as part of the LGBTQ community. These presentations definitely show how heteronormative our society is, considering that it is rather difficult for one to find images of alternative parenting for gay, lesbian, or transgender parents. Considering that times are changing in terms of tolerance of members of the LGBTQ community, I wonder if or how the image of parenthood will change over time. It's beginning to change subtlety, but overall it's still a very homogenous image of parenthood at the moment.
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