Maybe Day wasn't cut out to be a mother but did the best she could. If Martin had been describing a man who left his child along a little too long, no one would bat an eye. All the celibate priests should be forced to rear a young child for a year, preferably without aid of anyone else, to understand how demanding hands-on parenting is and how society's answer to women for centuries was that they were "innately designed" for this task and ought to devote 100% of their energies to it. Then they should apply that advice to themselves and come to grips with its implications.