When SAHDs become Spinsters

[Daenerys]

In ten years, Sarah Mally, the Botkin sisters and Sarah Maxwell will all be over or approaching forty. If they are all still unmarried it is going to be obvious that they will not fulfil the ideal of becoming a QF SAHM, and will remain with their parents for the rest of their lives and be an economic burden on any successfully married siblings once their parents have died. The books that they have written and conferences they have spoken at about how to prepare for your prince charming will look ridiculous and their parents will no longer be able to boast about their children in the same way.

What will happen? Will another generation come up with a different spin on it (who?) or will this be the end of the movement?

[Avalondaughter]

Do they have any legal rights to the money made off their videos, books, and speaking engagements? If their parents died (assuming their parents were to be receiving all royalties and speaking fees) would they be entitled to it, or would the sons just inherit it?

I hope if such a thing were to happen, they could sue for the rights. I'm sure among sympathetic secular crowds there would be folks willing to give them free legal counsel.

[Cran]

US-law on heritages is different from state to state, in some states, a statutory share is not known, so in those states (like Florida) a parent could leave all his belongings to one child, or only the male children, if he desired so, but not in other states whose law is different, there all children would have to get at least a share.

If the parents are not dead and the children want some part of the income they earned during their time in the family business, they need to be able to document the work they did, or their part in writing a book, and that they received no payment for it and the parent took it all, then they could probably sue and get the money. If they can't offer proof, they will likely get nothing.

[bananacat]

I honestly don't think they will lose their following just for being hypocrites. After all, Bill Gothard is single and childless, yet many flock to him for advice about marriage and parenting. Fundies will still swoon over the Botkin daughters because they tell people what they want to hear. And it's especially appealing to Patriarchal fathers who talk about courtship but deep down want their daughters to stay and worship them forever. They'll excuse it by saying that the Botkin daughters remained faithful (to both Daddy and God) in spite of life not turning out the way they expected, and they should be revered for making the ultimate sacrifice to better serve their father. They might even say that it's God's will for these two particular woman to remain at home forever so they can spend more time reaching out to fundie daughters.

They'll keep selling their crap and business will remain strong, even when their brothers or nephews are in charge of the money they earn.