nick: point well taken, a male would likely stay home if that brought more total income to the household. however, denying the stronger bond that exists between a mother and a young child is ludicrous. have you ever listened to a baby that doesn't stop crying until the mother holds it? that isn't just because the mother is spending more time with the baby as a result of social constructs - that baby wants the person with whom it is most connected. and the mother - does she not feel a bit more connected to a child than a father? does shared pain not create the deepest bonds?
i agree that we need to address the issues of pay differentials and opportunity, but we won't be very credible without acknowledging the existence and power of some of these biological realities.
regards, nick minneapolis