Further Exploration assignment - Essay Example

The two couples that I interviewed were not members of the same family, but they did live in the same neighborhood. Janice and Melwyn are both in their mid 60’s. They had three children and have just become grandparents for the third time. They are Caucasians living in the suburbs of a major urban center. The second couple is Stevie and Lucas. Stevie and Lucas have a two-year old and are expecting another baby in May. Stevie is from Jamaica and Lucas is from Chicago. Both are Caucasian and live in the same neighborhood as Janice and Melwyn.

Both couples indicated that becoming parents changed the way they related to each other. The Janice and Melwyn, looking back said that they felt each new baby created an increased bond of closeness between them, but then as the kids became older, Melwyn reports feeling that they were often, “in the way”. As a result, the couple reports that for nearly a decade, they couldn’t remember going on a date, seeing a movie together or taking a trip without the children. This eroded the quality of their marriage and relationship.

Stevie and Lucas say that they have felt their love grow for one another as they support each other in caring for a toddler and preparing for an infant. They feel that they have had to change very little so far in their lives because of kids. They never were into partying or going out much before kids and that hasn’t changed. They do miss the quiet that has been lost to the two year-old’s toys and constant talking. They know that crying is soon ahead, as are late night feedings and diapers, but all in all they feel as close as they ever have.

Janice and Melwyn report that when they had their first child, Janice quit her job as a bank teller to stay home with the children. She had a high school diploma and Melwyn was trained as a machinist. The economy was good, so Melwyn took overtime in order to make-up for the loss of Janice’s income. Janice did not return to the workforce until her youngest child was in 7th grade. She says she didn’t want to work once the kids came along, but admitted that being a housewife was boring and isolating at times.

Stevie is going to continue her studies at university through her pregnancy and after the birth of the next child. She is studying elementary education. She feels this would provide good additional income at some point and allow her to have time with her kids. Lucas is an engineer. He is just starting his career and wants to be the sole provider for the family for as long as Stevie wants to study and be at home with the kids. There was clear evidence in employment for both couples that there was a “mommy track”.

Janice stayed home and Stevie is limiting her employment to things that will allow her to be home. Both men were willing to work longer if necessary to provide for the family. The biggest differences I can see were between Stevie and Janice. Stevie is determined to get an education but Janice is less concerned about this. Janice did go back to work but not out of necessity. It was more to combat boredom and to get into the “adult world” again. Stevie seems to recognize that she will need to go back to work at some point to provide necessities for the family.