I find myself watching less and less daytime television. When I do watch, I rarely tune in to the talk shows. I have come to realize that I am somewhat (actually very) annoyed by the lip service that is paid to stay-at-home parents by much of the national media. The clichéd statement “It’s the toughest job in the world…” is repeated show after show.  But I just never sense any sincerity behind it.

Consider what these shows feature.  There is absolutely nothing that elevates or affirms the path stay-at-home parents have chosen. The most you get is the occasional “mommy makeover” which inherently suggests that you are not everything you should be. Not feeling any respect here.

When was the last time you saw a show about Homeschoolers that didn’t imply they are little more than religious zealots? Some of the sharpest, most self-assured children I have ever met were homeschooled. You would never guess that was even remotely possible based on talk show episodes.

Instead, they spend the majority of airtime on stories about balancing career and family. Hello…those folks aren’t home! The gatekeepers, for personal or philosophical reasons, really don’t want to affirm Domestic Commandos (aka SAHMs and WAHMs). If you think about it, it’s not all that surprising. This is not the path these individuals have chosen. And a fair number have no children at all, which is fine and probably a smart option for them.

But based on the general dismissal of all things related to being a Domestic Commando, it’s clear the gatekeepers really don’t care about our world and have their own agendas to promulgate. They make their living off of stay-at-home parents while considering themselves far superior. Maybe, if some of them read this, they’ll begin to understand why they have been losing viewers to Food Network, DIY, HGTV, Discovery and Pinterest.