The Working Mom
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The Working Mom
Since mothers began working outside the home, they have had to deal with the struggles of balancing time in the workplace with time with their family. Prior to WWII there were women in the workplace; however, the majority of them were single women without families. During World War II that began to change. At that time more women, many of them mothers, began leaving their traditional “jobs” in the home and entered the workplace. Men were off fighting. There was war production that needed to be done and the women were the only ones to do it. “In December 1941, almost 13 million women were at work. By February 1943, that number rose to 15 million, but, there was a need for 2 million more by early 1944.” (Thompson) Those years saw the largest influx of women into the workplace prior to the 1970s. Prior to the war women had been expected to follow the traditional role of staying home to care for the children. When WWII ended most of them returned to that role.
When the Womens Liberation Movement began in the late 1960s there was another surge of women and mothers entering the workplace. They were learning that as women and mothers they could have the freedom, and were even encouraged, to pursue employment
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outside the home. As the number of working mothers began to grow their struggle for acceptance began. Mothers who chose employment outside the home were often seen, even by their peers, as neglecting their duties as a wife and mother.
There are many reasons that mothers work outside the home. Some of them do it by choice to further their career. Some work so that they can contribute to the family finances and possibly provide money for “extras”. Of course, there are also the mothers who dont have a choice such as, single mothers or mothers who need to be the primary provider for the family.
It seems that although the presence of mothers in the workplace has become more common, there are still many issues that mothers must deal with. One of them is providing the best for their children. “The three major concerns of a working mother about her child include-
Healthy mental development
Long academic success
Ability to become social with others and build a relationship (
Even though reputable daycare has become more readily available and options such as, in home daycare situations or, for those who can afford it, nannies, these issues remain at the top of the working moms list.
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These concerns can lead to one of the most difficult things working moms contend with which is “working moms guilt”. One study states: “Only 10 percent of mothers working full-time give themselves the highest rating for their parenting and just 24 percent of mothers working part-time give themselves a 10 as a parent, according to a Pew Research survey. (Lewis) This guilt is often fostered by reactions to their work from outside influences, including religion, and criticism from mothers who dont work outside the home. More than one working mother even feels looked down on by the teachers in their childrens schools.
The lack of respect from schools is demonstrated in a story one mother, Ann, tells of a confrontation she had with her sons homeroom teacher. “I couldnt take the day off to make Play-Doh sculptures,” she recalls. “We were issuing warnings at work because the stock was in the tank.” But, she said, “Every parent has to do one project.” I said, “Im not saying I wont do it, just not tomorrow. Its not like Ive got to get my nails done.” (Gardner)
The working mother lives her life trying to balance the many things in her life. Often they spend the day at work and return home to clean, cook and do laundry for their family. Its as if they work not just one but, two full time jobs. A solution that some professional women have found is to work only part-time. “Among working moms, 60% now say that part-time work is the ideal situation, compared with 48% in 1997.” (Jayson) This is a situation that allows a mother to be active in the workplace and spend more time with their children.
Former news anchor Elizabeth Vargas found that adding flexibility to her work load was the best way for her to balance work and mothering. She stated, “When ABC announced