Working Mothers Essays

There is data to support the idea of a mother taking time off or a woman reducing her working hours to part-time will hurt her significantly in the career world. The reason for this sudden break in a woman’s career being motherhood. The most popular reason for working less hours is in a law firm is for a mother to take care of her child. Taking this additional time off decreases the chances of the mother receiving a partnership immensely. When doing this, the mother also risks the idea of herself being seen as “not serious about her career”, permanently damaging her chances of promotion at the private practice. However, mothers are no less likely than childless women to receive a

In her interviews with woman she was sure to interview very well educated women and those that strived for mere perfection. One thing is that the men in the lives of these women were not supportive and not mentioned of much. The men and society of today have placed a lot of responsibility on a woman’s shoulders when it comes to the child. It is the woman who makes the decision or is given the task to make the heavy decisions regarding the child’s future. Because of this many women choose to stay at home to be sure that the children will receive everything that they deserve and that they are not lacking in any area. Another issue that she reviews is that employers do not work with moms at all. For example she talked about the scenario where two moms brought a solution to their problem to management yet it failed to receive approval instead one mother was offered more money (Guest, 2011). Employers are not very flexible when it comes to mothers and don’t provide the proper care that is needed for a child. Since men are the ones that don’t carry the responsibility of the child’s well-being having proper day care is not a factor for them. Then there is the cost of day care which is high and can at times not compare to what the individual is making.

In Judith Stadtman Tuckers “The Least Worst Choice: Why Mothers Opt out of the Work Place” Judith Stadtman Tucker looks at why hard working, intelligent woman are choosing to leave their high end jobs to stay at home with their children. Judith Stadtman Tucker expresses her option that it is nearly impossible to work 40 hours a week, be available on your off hours as well as raise children. I fully agree with Judith Stadtman Tucker’s point of view that it is absurd to have to be at the mercy of your employer even in your off hours, nor less if you are attempting to create an emotional connection and successfully raise a child. It is no question that even in today’s modern society that it is assumed that woman are the best caregivers for young children. If you are put in a position where you have a child to raise, is it more appropriate to abandon your career or to emotionally abandon your child to a stranger or strangers and allow them to raise it? Judith Stadtman Tuckers argument against mothers having to choose between the joys of parenthood and the freedom of being able to work a career really speaks to me because it makes me consider what I want for my own future and what I would choose.

In today’s society, you are required to achieve a steady income to support your family. Traditionally, the father is the financial provider in the house, while the mother has a second income to give a helping hand financially. A single mother will have to get a job that can provider her many hours of work to recieve enough money for stability. Working many hours can be hard because not only do you have to complete your work for your company, you also have to complete the work that needs to be done at home as well. A single mother would have to be the single provider for herself and the children. This means she will have to find a job that is flexible with her schedule, so she can provide care for her children as needed. The author writes in her arguments “I am lucky enough to to be living in financially stable, relatively privileged circumstances” (Katie Roiphe 58). The author states she is “relatively privileged”. This means she is more than likely doing well financially, but she does recognize she could be struggling like many other single mothers. This is why it is always good to have the father around for support.

In fact, recent studies have shown that the cost of daycare in some states has exceeded the average tuition and fees of a public college. The cost per week per child is at its all-time high for childcare and that it’s making it hard for parents. Paying $100-$350 a week for childcare sounds outrageous. The cost of having an infant child in most states is higher than having a 6 year old. Most childcare facilities charge families by the kids’ ages, the younger the child, the higher the cost. Honestly, daycare facilities are making a killing because people are having babies that need care, but they have to go back to work to support their family. Some parents are concerned about their kids spending so much time in daycare “on average, children spend over 35 hours a week in child care (Aguliar).” People may argue that 35 hours a week is too long for a child to be in care, but honestly it isn’t, as long as the kids are all

Also, companies save $150,000 to $250,000 in wages after a study was conducted between two companies (Employer-sponsored day care can be profitable, new study shows). In addition, corporations can us flex spending accounts to manage the cost of onsite childcare facilities by using pre-tax dollars for the child care (Offering child care as benefit?: pros and cons). There is a program by Congress called the “Childcare Credit” better known today as the “Right Start Child Care,” which provides employers a credit of 25% of the employers qualified child care expenses. It also guarantees the employer 10% credit of qualified child referral cost. The cost covers building or operating expenses, training of child care facility; and an outside day care facility to the company’s employees (Connell,

55% of American mothers now return to work by the time their children are one years old -- out of either financial, professional, or personal necessity. In today’s society, there are concerns as to whether attending daycare during infancy produces negative or positive effects on the development of children. Many of these concerns are influenced by the fear that separating an infant from its mother may cause emotional harm to the child or disrupt the mother-infant bond. No study finds that children of employed mothers suffer solely because their mothers are working. Research has shown that mothers who work spend as much time playing with their babies as do mothers without outside jobs (Huston &

The problem is accentuated by the widening of the gap between rich and poor, that can be translated in this matter as an increase of difficulty for low-income families to have access to the much more expensive high quality day care options. There are several aspects that built such a controversial situation and the most important are certainly the cultural and economical ones. The huge growth in women’s independence and professional ambition, in addition to importance, of the last decades, caused the fall of the cultural basis that have always taken for granted the responsibility of the mother as the full-time caregiver (Chisholm 38). Now women are more willing to gain a successful and respectable place in society, and this can be achieved almost exclusively through hard work and full immersion in their jobs. Simultaneously, the economical situation of our society caused many families to depend on two incomes to satisfy the basic needs. In fact, the increase in the cost of living not sufficiently balanced by a relatively smaller rise in wages, and a greater attitude toward materialism and conspicuous consumption, have given women the same financial responsibility as men (Chilman 451). This aspect can be fully applied only on families with an average income or better, because professional daycare programs are pretty expensive and in some cases can reach prices higher than the minimum wage. Those factors

An increase in baby booming makes it tougher for working parents to find daycare. The facts prove that having children come with a true price. Even so it doesn’t change the issues of finding child care or makes them go away. When parents work, quality child care is a necessity. And it does not come cheap. For families with more than one child, child care can eat up one salary, leaving parents wondering both working is worth it. When thinking of child care there are some options to consider like choosing a child care center, the costs of child care centers, and waiting lists.

Having the father home will help with daycare cost when the mother goes back to work.

One of the largest social controversies of the current time are the parental pressures attached to whether or not a child should attend daycare. While many parents struggle with this decision, others do not have the luxury of choice; many questions are raised asking if it is beneficial or harmful for infants and young children to attend daycare, spending the majority of their waking hours with caregivers other than their parents. There are of course many opinions and studies regarding this issue. As with any controversial topic there is no right or wrong answers for the masses. The majority of studies conducted all seem to have similar results. This is an issue and dilemma of such personal magnitude that it should not only be regarded

In today’s society the majority of households have a family dynamic where both parents need to work. It is nearly impossible for most families in America to survive financially without two incomes. This puts many parents in a situation where they have to find extra help to watch their children while they are away at work. “These days couples face complex negotiations over work, family, child care, and housekeeping. It becomes evident that where traditional marriage through the centuries has been a partnership based on mutual dependency, modern marriage demands greater self-sufficiency” (Hekker). Day care becomes a necessity for many families, and the main concern for most parents is if the day care will be a positive experience for their

Over the past five to six decades women have been entering the workforce in ever increasing numbers. Some enter because of financial need and others for professional and career goals. Whatever the reason, the result for the children is the same; they are in daycare. Many

Women are able to contribute to society in more ways than by just being a mother. Meier, Musick, Flood & Dunifon (2016) mentions “maternal employment may provide a source of identity, self-worth, and welcome relief from daily care, potentially gener- ating greater appreciation and enjoyment in time with children” (p. 651, para. 2). Whether a mother wants to work or has to work to provide for her family, the extra income is beneficial to the child. When both parents work, it may mean that there is more disposable income which could allow for more family vacations and activities. Dual income families may also be able to afford a nicer home in a better school district. More income could also mean both parents may qualify for additional work benefits such as contributions towards 401K, medical benefits and child care tax savings. Childcare is not only beneficial for mother but for the child. Children learn social skills, have fun playing and learn from their teachers and other children. Having separation during the day can also make a child more independent and self-sufficient as they get older. Mothers who continue to work after having children will often have more career opportunities and are able to earn more money in the long run. Working moms may also teach children the importance of gender equality and show them that women can also focus on careers.

A major advantage of being a working mother is the income that she brings into her home. The more money that is brought into the home, the more the family can do and have. Let’s look at a certain situation: a family of four with two working parents. With two incomes coming into the household, there is more financial room to spend money on what they may please. The family can have a nicer home, cars, and clothes. Let’s not forget vacations. With more income coming into the household the family may be able to afford to go on extravagant vacations, or maybe can vacation more often. Another perk with the income of a working mother is that her family will never have to worry about not having anyone to watch her children. Instead of paying a babysitter or dropping the kids off at mom and dads the family has the option of putting the children in daycare, or even hiring their own nanny to watch the kids while the parents work. However, more family income isn’t the only perk of being a working mom.