Who Are You?

Where to begin?
I want to start with stories, with hopes, with crazy idealistic impossibilities, and then move into practicalities: big picture and small picture changes to the cultural valuation of motherhood / parenthood / children. The internet is rich with resources about so many subjects ... but not about this one, and not from a Canadian perspective. Look for available resources on the right-hand column of this blog, and please get in touch if you find others.
So let's begin by telling each other about why we are mothers and feminists, and why these two identities are not incompatible.
The blog Blue Milk (thinking + motherhood = feminist) ran a questionnaire a few years ago. Inspired by that, here's the Moms Are Feminists Too questionnaire, which I offer as food for thought. If you feel moved to reply, please respond (send your response to my email address, which can be figured out under Contact, to your right).

1. How do you define feminism? Why are you a feminist? When did you become one?
2. What has surprised you most about parenthood?
3. What skills have you learned or honed as a parent?
4. What work do you feel called to do? (You don't need to limit your answer to one thing).
5. Could you put your identity into a few key words? ie. mother-writer-student. How do you imagine your identity changing in ten years? Or twenty?
6. What is work? What is leisure? Do you have enough time to do the work that you want to do?
7. Payment is the most obvious way to assign value to work; are there other ways?
8. When people ask: what do you do, how do you reply? How does your reply make you feel?
9. How have your goals for yourself changed since becoming a parent? What help do you need to reach those goals?
10. How has feminism failed mothers / fathers (if you think it has)? Personally, what do you think feminism has given mothers / fathers? What could it give?

I'm posting responses as they come in. I urge you to read these. They are thought-provoking and highly individual. To read them, click here, or on the link to the right. Please contact me and add your voice, too.