Son Tae-young defends herself after backlash over childcare claims

Actress Son Tae-young responded to netizens' criticisms after revealing she has managed all housework and the upbringing of her two children alone for six years in the United States. The 47-year-old shared on her YouTube channel that she handles all cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, and children's transportation without a domestic helper.

Actress Son Tae-young has encountered sharp reactions from some netizens after revealing that she has managed all housework and the upbringing of her two children without a domestic helper for six years in the United States. Amid criticisms such as "other housewives do it all alone" and "is that such a big deal?", Son responded directly via comments. Her sharing of the daily struggles faced while caring for her family turned into an unexpected debate, once again highlighting differing perspectives on childcare and domestic labor.

On the 25th, Son revealed the weight of the housework and childcare she has undertaken during her life in the United States through her YouTube channel 'Mrs. New Jersey Son Tae-young'. She stated that she has been personally responsible for cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, and even transporting her two children. She candidly mentioned that she has cared for her family for a long time without employing a domestic helper, adding that she must rest on weekends to be able to care for the children again during the week.

In particular, when asked if she had ever used a domestic helper, Son replied, "(There must be) houses that use them. But I have never used one." She explained that while there may be families living in New Jersey who employ domestic help, she has performed the housework herself. When the production team expressed surprise at the fact that she handles all the cleaning, laundry, and meal preparation alone, Son added that she also handles the children's transportation.

“I even did the rides. I did that for six years,” she said. This signifies that her responsibilities extended beyond simple domestic labor within the home to include managing her children's schedules and transportation for a long period. She calmly conveyed the reality of balancing housework and parenting while raising children in the United States.

The reason Son placed particular emphasis on resting during the weekend was clear. She stated that while she prepares meals personally for her family during the week, she uses delivery services on the weekends. “On the weekend, the children order what they want to eat. A mother needs to rest on the weekend,” she said, expressing her view that those caring for a family also require rest.

She further confessed, “I am 47 years old now, so I must rest on Saturday and Sunday so that I can care for the kids again starting Monday. Otherwise, it is too hard to do.” Her explanation was that setting aside housework for the weekend is not a request for special treatment, but a necessary recharge to continue childcare and housework the following week.

However, as Son's remarks became known through social media issue accounts, some netizens showed cynical reactions. Comments such as “Is that a big deal? Other housewives all do it alone” and “It is only natural” followed. The sentiment was that since many parents routinely handle housework and childcare without domestic help, there is no need to speak of it as a special hardship.

In response, Son left comments directly to address the reactions surrounding her remarks. This is interpreted as an attempt to clarify that her sharing the realistic difficulties of caring for her family was not intended to compare herself to other housewives or to demand special treatment. However, as interpretations may vary regarding the specific content and expression of the comments, it is difficult to conclude this as a one-sided emotional conflict.

Subsequently, Son shared photos of her daily life enjoying a Halloween festival with her daughter on her social media. One fan, seemingly aware of the previous controversy, left a message of support, saying, “Please do not waste energy on useless words. As a fan, I always enjoy watching your YouTube. Your life as a mother is so wonderful and I am enjoying watching it^^.” Son responded to the comment by clicking 'Like' on the fan's warm words.

This debate demonstrates how much perspectives can differ even regarding the same parenting experience. While managing housework and childcare alone may be a routine occurrence for some, it does not mean the fatigue and burden felt in the process disappear. Conversely, it allows for an examination of whether there were expressions that unintentionally trivialized the efforts of other parents while discussing one's own experience. The important thing is an attitude of understanding each person's situation and labor, rather than competing over who suffered more.

Son Tae-young married actor Kwon Sang-woo in 2008 and has one son and one daughter. She lives in New Jersey, United States, for her children's education, while Kwon Sang-woo continues his activities traveling between South Korea and the United States. As empathy pours in alongside critical reactions to her confession of having personally taken responsibility for her family's daily life for a long time, Son Tae-young's honest stories about parenting continue to draw interest online.

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