It?s healthy being supermom

The women?s movement made sure that they became more independent ? financially. But what it couldn?t take away from them was their maternal instinct, and their home-making skills.

The women’s movement made sure that they became more independent — financially. But what it couldn’t take away from them was their maternal instinct, and their home-making skills. Yesterday’s feminists would be horrified at the possessiveness with which today’s independent working women stake their claim as the mistress of the domestic domain, even as they demand (hopelessly) that their partners pitch in with their fair share of housework. So, what with having to cope with an erratic boss at work and a child’s tantrums at home, any working mum would be justified that occasional screech of frustration.

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But no, that no longer holds good. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, working mothers have better health report cards than homemakers or childless women. And, they are more likely to sport those mannequin figures. Stress definitely has some good returns. Logically, the more active one is, mentally and physically, the healthier one is likely to be. The mental challenges posed to a woman at the workplace and at home trigger different kinds of stimuli. And the professional satisfaction of a job well done couldn’t be more different from the emotional one of bringing up one’s children.

For all those women still not convinced, maybe they could give it a second thought the next time they wished they could get into that figure-hugging outfit that’s been lying unused at the back of their cupboards.