Thoughts please.
The modern day women, mother, wife. What is her roll, her objective, her aspirations?
How does society affect them?
How does society not affect them?
There are no wrong answers. 

Everyone is an individual. Some people are more traditional, others are not.
The social media outlet gives people immediate feedback, whether negative or positive, and so now people are looking more towards society for affirmation of their each and every impulse.

The result is less unity, and a seeking out to be as uniquely individual as possible in order to fit in.
But pretty soon this novelty will get worn out, and people will find a "new" even more bland normal.

Then people will question tradition and normalcy, and there will be a new term for the new hipster of the next generation.

The search for the best, the newest, the most correct will only be a never ending cycle. Every generation that has ever been has thought it is the last. 

Come on .....please give your opinion! 

Thank you Ona! 

I agree with Ona. Personally, I love being a stay at home mom, while my kids are younger, but I do have aspirations and goals for a career that I will start when they are both school aged.
I don't let society affect my attitude on religion, child rearing, politics, or my goals. 

But what are your standards? Your beliefs? 

We all are different I don't think many people are not traditional anymore.As Women we think we can do it all with no help.(we do) I don't let society affect me I am my own person and have my own mind. 

Standards pertaining to what? Life? Religion? Children? I'm sure you don't want my life story. 

What is your definition of a modern day women?
Great feedback! 

Like Ona said, it depends on the individual.

I did the stay-at-home mom thing for as long as I was needed to. It was something I always wanted to do, and I am glad I was there for my babies for the first few years of their life. Now that they are both (youngest is JUST about there) in school, I now feel prompted to focus on me and my aspirations. I put those things on hold for my family. I didn't have a real opportunity to focus on the thing that really drives me. Now I do.

For a while, I think I lived in the 50's mindset where I needed to be the best stay-at-home mother/wife that I could be, and realistically? Ain't nobody got time for that! Or energy for that matter! On some days, making sure the kids were still BREATHING was a chore!

I had a lot of back and forth feelings about going back to school while being home with the girls. They primarily started when I saw that all my buddies from high school were graduating from college. I suddenly felt like everything I'd aspired to do in high school....all the things I wanted to do with my life before I'd met my husband....had been, well....forgotten. I was consumed with a sudden feeling of inspiration, and started school again, but I made the mistake of not having any direction. I was pursuing school aimlessly, and quickly lost my drive because what I was studying bored me and I couldn't see myself actually using any of it in any real life circumstances. I also felt I was no longer being a good wife/mother/housekeeper/etc, so I quit school.

Now that I have a definitive and concrete goal (and a job where I can apply what I learn in school), I'm excited and filled with a larger feeling of purpose.

Ultimately, I think that's what it comes down to. What makes you feel the most purposeful? What drives you and makes you feel your happiest? The answer to these questions I think might answer your questions as far as what the modern day woman's roll, objective and aspirations are. It depends on them, individually. Whether or not they let society, or how they were brought up even, persuade their believe system on what their roll is, again, depends on them. 

I would have to agree with Msdiamond on the part about I do not let society affect me. I worry about my direct family and our values, expectations, and what I feel I should be teaching my children. There are far too many influences out in the world. They are going to be affected somehow. Aren't we all in some way? But when you become an adult, many of us realize that we grew up looking for acceptance. Whether it is from our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers etc.
I am not traditional in any way what so ever. I am just a firm believer in good values. What I might see fit as acceptable and good standards, someone is always waiting to judge and disagree.

As for women in society today. I think there is a lot of social acceptance needed in many minds. But I also see a lot of women doing it themselves. All on their own, or even if they are married they are still the head of the household and know how to run the ship. I don't think I was ever the type to expect a man, nor anyone else to do something for me. I always tried to do it myself. I don't particularly like to hear a woman say, I don't know what to do about ____, my husband is not here. That is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I think that persona is changing as well.

s a mother, you raise your kids to the best of your ability. You should enforce values and rules. As a wife...eh...I don't know what to say to this really. I mean, I am a woman, does it matter if I ma a wife to others? (although I am, that does not define me, neither does being a mother) Too many people let these things define them.

But as for society on women... We STILL are underpaid, or paid less than a man for the very same job. We are still offered less promotions. WHY? There seems to be growing leadership across the world when it comes to women. Where as 10 yrs ago, it was practically unheard of.

Did I get off track here at all? Did that make sense? 

Interesting. Very interesting. 

What inspired the question, MO? 

A stupid class. However, I do care, women are so put on by society. Why? Why do we hold a standard that we can't realistically live up to? It's not 1950....anymore. 

It's not 1950....anymore

Exactly! That is exactly how I feel. I don't have a daughter, but if I did, I would do my damndest(is that even a word?) to raise her to be self-sufficient and independent. 

Interesting 

Some was raise that way, others try to keep up with others.. Secretly women rule the world(smile). Really I think society know women can do it all, work take care of the kids do there wifey duties. Smile like nothing is wrong.. We are strong.. 

This is what I think is happening to women, but it is not how I would define myself. The modern day woman is more career driven and putting family on hold. I know there are some women in the world that have no ambitions or plans for themselves, and they don't count in this definition. They are kind of like the leeches of society. I think most women that would define themselves as more modern, are trying to claw their way to the top in businesses or begin their own. They are pretty much living the "Sex in the City" lifestyle. There are a lot of women that don't want kids actually. And I find societies general attitude towards children are becoming a bit hateful. They don't want kids in restaurants or planes, or anywhere near them. 

Samba I would to.. But I have a son I am raising him to take care of his women hold doors give up his seat..etc.. 

Oh trust me, I still teach my boys those things. But I would teach my girl to not expect these things and do stuff herself and not expect it from anyone. ;) So far I am 2/4. My others are young just yet. 

And I find societies general attitude towards children are becoming a bit hateful. They don't want kids in restaurants or planes, or anywhere near them. 
It's true. And this bothers me to the core. It's not just about the selfishness of this attitude. "Our children are our future". I mean, if an entire generation feels like they are a parasite then they will start to behave like one. This is why there are "parasitic wives". They were trained from infancy that all they are is a burden. 

What is your definition of a modern day women?

Modern Woman has her entire life virtually planned out by the time she graduates college. By then she has her perfect wedding, perfect house, perfect wardrobe, perfect maternity photo poses, perfect newborn photo poses, workouts to get her perfect body back, and a years worth of perfect meals pinned to 30+ boards on Pinterest.

Modern Woman will have her perfect wedding and tweet real time updates throughout the big day. Six weeks later she'll get the wedding photos back from her photographer and immediately upload all 1200 of them to Facebook, tagging her friends squinting left eyes, ankles, and elbows along the way so they can relive her perfect day with her. She will change her profile picture to a wedding day picture every year on her anniversary (or any other time she needs validation) to remind all her friends how she single handedly achieved perfection on her big day.

Modern Woman will get pregnant and spend a months salary on apps for her iPhone that are sure to have her super offspring reading in six languages by the time he's ready for strained carrots (which she will boil and puree herself in a food processor). She will ignore the last decade of medical advancements and choose a midwife over an OBGYN. She will give birth at home, in a birthing tub, or a state of the art birthing center. When the miraculous event is over her friends and family will shower her with praise, and she will brush it off as nothing, claiming aromatherapy candles, zen music, and breathing techniques provided her with a magical miraculous birthing experience she'd repeat in a heartbeat.

Modern Woman will only use cloth diapers. She will breastfeed on demand until her child is ready to stop, even if that means he's about to start third grade and still just isn't ready. Her child will not watch TV. She will homeschool, at least for pre-k and kindergarden. She will only buy organic food and carefully researches her legal rights to enroll her kids in school without vaccinations. She will stop having children after she has two so she keeps her carbon footprint in check. Speaking of that carbon footprint, she drives an electric car, makes a conscious effort to only buy products endorsed by PETA, and her kids know how to clean and sort recycles well before their second birthday.

Modern Woman raises her children while holding down a full time job. It doesn't matter that she's so tired she's falling asleep at her desk by 2pm most afternoons. It doesn't matter that she's late three out of five mornings a week because she can't just walk away from her screaming baby at daycare. It doesn't matter that she calls in sick or leaves the office early twice as often as her male co-workers…she deserves to make more money than them because she is entitled to it. She is modern woman. She writes letters to the labor board, unions, congressmen, even the president himself. And she always votes Democrat because no way is Modern Woman going to be stuck in a binder!

When Modern Woman's marriage hits a few bumps in the road she has little to no interest in working it out. It's all his fault, and she deserves better. It doesn't matter that she hasn't taken a bath, shaved her legs, had a hair cut, brushed her teeth more than once a day, or worn make up in almost five years. It doesn't matter that she never bothered to go back and actually use any of those workouts she pinned, or that she no longer has an interest in her wardrobe or herself. She claims she doesn't have time to take care of herself, between the kids and her job…but she does have plenty of time to take selfies (always from the neck up) and share them on Facebook, run the kids to and from every sport, music, and art lesson known to man (she wouldn't dare tell them no), and bake four dozen brownies for the next PTA bake sale. She can't be bothered to make anything other than a reheated frozen dinner for her husband. She tells him to sleep on the couch because the kids are now entering middle school and their bed isn't big enough for all of them. By now he's working 100+ hours a week to pay the mortgage on her idea of a perfect house, family vacations, all those lessons and activities for the kids, and the organic food that costs 3x as much as regular food, but he's the jerk for just not appreciating everything she does.

Modern Woman leaves her husband. She goes back to school (paid for by the government), gets an apartment (mostly paid for by the government), and pays her own bills (also mostly paid for by the government, child support, and alimony). Her daycare is subsidized by the government and when her kids aren't in daycare they're with her parents. She goes to school and goes out with her modern friends, where they spend hours bashing men and talking about how empowered they feel because they're doing it all on their own.

Modern Woman doesn't care what society thinks of her, or her choices. She proves this point by voicing her opinions every chance she gets in multiple social media outlets, backing up her choices with examples of scientific research, and generally attempting to justify every choice and aspect of her life every chance she gets.

I didn't write this (I kind of suspect this was written by a man), I don't think this applies to all women in today's society by any means, but bits and pieces of this ring true for multiple people I know. I thought it was an interesting perspective. Plus it involves Facebook and we all know how much MO loves Facebook lol... 

I didn't write this (I kind of suspect this was written by a man)

lol i was about to ask who traumatized you.
it's well written though. and yes probably a man did write this. 

My goodness! That modern woman sounds atrocious.

For me- I think the modern woman does the best she can with what she has. That varies for each person. Lots of women work full time, as they are single mothers or dual income families. But there are also many that stay home with their children, or are attending school. I never meant or expected to be a stay at home mom, I planned to work and have a career. I am so so so grateful I WAS able to stay home when my son needed me, but I'm also excited for the opportunity to go back to work. I think the modern woman is driven. Driven to provide the best environment for her children, to have the most successful career possible, to be all things to all people. It's a pretty lofty goal. 

to be all things to all people. It's a pretty lofty goal. 
that is a lofty goal! and it is exhausting. we have to give ourselves a break from everyone's expectations or we will run ourselves into the ground.

i think that there are other people who are so frustrated with the "leech wives" that they actually try so hard to be the opposite that they actually feel indulgent when they feel guilty, and make others feel guilty to further indulge themselves.

but it is always a good idea to make plans and have dreams and aspirations. it's always a positive thing to care for others. 

I can see being frustrated with leeches, but you have to find a good middle ground. You can't care for anyone if you don't care for yourself. I call it recharging my battery ;-) 

The best she can with what she has..... I agree! 

I have to read the rest over again. I skimmed.


But what do you think that really means lady's?
Examples of that action awesomesauce!!
Is it being frugal? What about reading books to educate one's self, because you do have access to that? I have a few ideas. 

Omg Details.
Wow. I need to think. That was deep. 

better yourself not by your actions, but by what is behind the actions.