Louise Chabat defends the profession of stay-at-home parents

Having become a mother a few months ago, Louise Chabat shared a powerful text on stay-at-home parents, a grueling profession which is nevertheless poorly perceived and invisible in society.

Last February, the actress and her companion Julien gave birth to their first child. Today, the young woman has to take care of her baby alone, her partner having returned to work. A period that is not obvious and especially difficult, as she testifies on her Instagram page. She chose to share a strong text on the job of a stay-at-home parent, still too badly perceived by society.

Alain Chabat’s daughter wanted to show the reality of everyday life for parents at home with a photo that illustrates her in her bed, the place where she spends her days with baby. In the photo, she is breastfeeding her baby, while bleeding from the nose.
“My head at the end of a day alone with my son.
-Uber Fat Eats
– Bleeding nose
-Baby who does not sleep all day because of the heat ”
, she writes on Instagram.

In a poignant text, the young woman wonders why stay-at-home parents are less considered than other professions. “My question, why do we say that HOME MOMENTS DON’T WORK ?! After 8 months of paternity leave, Julien returned to work part-time. Since then, we share custody of the little one (me in the morning when he works at the restaurant & him in the afternoon when I have my consultations)
And well, we are AWARE that the one who stays at home to take care of the son is the ONE WHO WORKS & not the other way around! WE ARE AWARE THAT THE ONE WHO GOES TO WORK IS THE ONE WHO IS ON HOLIDAY !!
So ok, we don’t work at the factory & we love what we do, but the world of catering & psychotherapy is not easy either
And yet … I realize that being a stay-at-home parent is probably the hardest job in the world
So how could we redefine what it is to be a “stay-at-home mom / dad” in the collective unconscious? ”
, writes the young woman.

The mental burden of single parents

The actress points to the mental burden of mothers and the lack of consideration of parents at home. “Perhaps first of all by removing this element of shame that some stay-at-home parents may feel, in a society where people are valued for what they produce, what they earn, what they achieve at home. outside his home.
It’s called “toxic productivity”
This society does not value stay-at-home parents. They have no social or financial recognition. Very little help & protection ”
, she emphasizes.

In France, between 15 to 20% of mothers are affected by post-depression depression. A still taboo disease that few women dare talk about for fear of being judged, of feeling guilty or even misunderstood. ”It is also for this reason that there is so much postpartum depression in France.
Paternity leave is so ridiculous (it will go from 11 to 30 days this summer) we have the right to 2 visits from midwives in 10 days after returning from maternity
In the Scandinavian countries, mothers are followed by midwives for 6-8h / day weeks!
And yes because:
-Who teaches us to be a parent?
– Decode our baby’s crying?
– Go to bed without him waking up?
-Wear it correctly?
-The difficulties of breastfeeding?
If we don’t have the means & resources: nobody.
It’s time for all of that to change ”
, she concludes.

Being a stay-at-home parent is a real daily job that never stops. The days are long and sometimes difficult, it is important to consider and provide support to these parents invisible to society.

Suruthi SRIKUMAR

Suruthi is a writer for the Aufeminin, Parole de Mamans and Avis de Mamans websites. She is also Community Manager for Aufeminin Maman’s Facebook and Instagram social networks. She is also …