Mother’s in the Workforce

MOTHER’S IN THE WORKFORCE

Mother’s In The Workforce

Kassandra Diaz

March 12,2018

There is the idea of specific gender roles that need to be followed. Some are fixated on the idea that once a woman gives birth to her child, she must be chained to that baby. She must relinquish all freedom of her own life, and slave away at home caring and love it. The idea that the father must go out into the world and be the only source of income while the mother stays home. Society has grown and outlived a lot of norms that were once accepted. Unfortunately, till this day the idea of a woman staying home and not having a career to take care of her children, is an expectation to some. A woman has the right to have babies but not chained to the household. She is allowed the opportunity to take on a career possibly. In this day and age, a well-rounded life can be quite costly for some. Some mothers would love to stay home with their children and be nothing but a housewife but are of the lower socioeconomic status which means they do not have the choice to do so. A mother should be able to work outside the home, even if it's because of possibly pursuing their dreams, having a career and financial reasons.

When a mother gives birth to her child, she has created the little human who needs her at all times, well that is what some will say. A mother does not have to devote every second of every day to her children. She is allowed the option to pursue her dreams, if that may be returning to college or applying for her dream job. She is allowed to continue on the goals she was once following before she had her child. Of course, a mother would want to love and hold down the fort at home. But when it becomes an expectation to do so, it no longer becomes a wanted desire. Lauer & Lauer(2012), explains women work “to establish a sense of self apart from man and child” (p.242). Even though they are mothers, there are many other traits they carry. It is healthy for a person to realize that they are not only used for one purpose but more so that they create their path. Some mothers may have had a career before having a child and would like to pick up where they left off.

Some women continue to work outside the home because they spent an enormous amount of time getting to where they are at this point. There are high powering business women who decide to start a family, but in doing so their business life is not over. Palmer(2012), “High-profile working women, have the power to pave new ground for younger women by encouraging more flexible work arrangements.” All it takes is for high powered mothers to remind other mothers that it is possible to have it all. A woman can wear a suit and earn half of the household income, just as she can cook her child and husband’s favorite meal. A mother can have a career before, and after having children it is not a crime, it is okay.

On the other hand, some mothers would love nothing more than to stay home and hold down the fort. They would wish to have the privilege for the husband to do all the heavy lifting. Sadly, some mothers