Well, I suppose the same goes for men, as well – Emma Thompson seems pretty equal opportunity. In a new interview with the Daily Mail, the actress admitted that she gave up acting for a while to be a full-time mum since she likes raising kids and didn’t want to leave those duties to hired help – and she thinks all parents who can afford to do so, should.
‘I wanted to spend more time with my family. A year off was my birthday present to myself. I didn’t actually act or write. I was just a mum. I taught drama at my daughter’s school, cooked meals and had fun. I highly recommend others to do the same if they can afford it.’
‘Sometimes in life you’ll have some things, at other times you will have other things. Motherhood is a full-time job. The only way I could have continued working would have been by delegating the running of the home to other people. I never wanted to do this as I find motherhood profoundly enjoyable.’
Emma’s been getting some shit for this interview, apparently, but I don’t really see why. It’d be great to be able to dedicate all of your time to raising your kids – IF that’s what you want to do. If you want to be a career woman, that’s awesome. It doesn’t mean your kids are going to turn out fucked up, it just means there’ll be some compromises and it might be a bit harder to juggle. Likewise, she recognizes that not everyone has the luxury to take a year off and clearly says that in the interview, so I kinda don’t see the issue.
I love me some Emma Thompson, though, so maybe I’m a bit biased.