BlogHer - working mothers - Comments

your one reason - beautiful girl

jpsmom — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:42:46 -0600

Do you want your daughter to grow up and get an abortion without your knowledge? The Freedom Act bill he wants to sign is misleading. It will deregulate abortion clinics and make them unsafe. Do you really want that for your daughter?

When the democrats became a majority that is when the economy fall apart. It had nothing to do with Busch. It had to do with Palossi and her cronies. you need to rethink your vote.

Agreed!

PunditMom — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:34:45 -0600

Sons and daughters!

For Sons Too

rebellious thinker — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:04:17 -0600

Sons deserve Obama and Biden too. They deserve political leadership that is as respectful of their society as they need to be.

Laura, www.RebelliousThoughtsofaWoman.com

This is equality

Gloria Feldt — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 10:39:04 -0500

Really well said, PunditMom. The economy and our economic structure have been changing at the same time that women have be enentering the workforce in larger numbers and have been working toward equality in pay, promotions, and oportunities. Sometimes it is difficult to separate those two concurrent strands from one another, but your analysis has helped me get more of a grip.

Gloria Feldt

www.GloriaFeldt.com

www.GloriaFeldt.com/heartfeldt-politics-blog

Same old, Same old

PhazingOut — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:49:19 -0500

I'll probably loose my job in the next year, it's ok because I can retire. I think we need to focus on retainable jobs. Most likely the people who will loose their jobs will be middle-aged and older workers who can be replaced by someone who's younger and cheaper. So producing the right numbers will not be a problem for major corporations.

The women's movement has focused on the glass ceiling instead of the average person. Women and minorities who aren't promoted for whatever reason, are at risk. Another corporate trick is to promote people into an unsustainable position and fire them. Screaming for more new kids out of college will make it a lot easier to push out people who have received predjudice job development. The goals of human resource is a temporary workforce that can be turned into any shape or size.

I suggest that we need a more thorough understanding of who these women are that are being moved out. How much experience do they have? Have they been fairly developed in their careers? I think there would be some interesting trends.

Driven Back Into the Work Force

Tacomamama — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:56:07 -0500

What Margaret said. I could have written her comment.

I did try to find work after my first child, and my second. But there are no part time jobs that pay anything approaching a worthwhile salary, and even the ones that pay less (which I applied for anyway) wouldn't take me because I was overqualified. Full time work was a similar deal - and then there's childcare, which would cost nearly my whole salary for anything that would work for my.....spirited.....kid.

So now with two children about to be in school full time next year, I've finally found a worthwhile part time gig, through blogging. But I had to work for free for a year to get it, literally at the last possible second, as the cable is shut off and the phone is shut off and we're living on ramen and cheap mac and cheese.

Frustrating

Just_Margaret — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:42:27 -0500

Great Post, Pundit Mom!

I find it so frustrating when I see
stuff like this. As if women were'nt impacted by the economy before,
it's supposed to be a revelation that the economy is impacting
women in the workforce.

Though technically I did 'opt out' of the
workforce when my first child was born, it was a direct result of the
economics--it would have sucked up my entire paycheck to pay for
childcare so as to continue my career. And on top of that, my
childcare options were few and far (literally) between.

Now, almost seven years later, the economy is driving me back to
the workforce. Se we can do crazy things like eat and heat our
home this winter. Oh, yeah, and pay the exhorbitant prices at the
pump. Right now, I'm waitressing at a somewhat snazzy restaurant,
while pursuing a full time job. I've been actively searching for
almost six months...and the picture out there just isn't pretty.

~Margaret

www.maurhoffbarney.blogspot.com

If it's any consolation

heathc — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:58:45 -0500

I only have one kid (not counting my husband), one dog, two cats and a full time job and my 3 piles of laundry are still waiting to be washed. And I don't even separate the whites from the colours anymore :-)

I have managed to get the dishes out of the sink but there's something decaying in our garbage disposal that I'm a little afraid to explore further.

I am also very much looking forward to the automatic kitty litter box we just ordered. Cause that was yet another task we weren't staying on top of, and boy could you tell on some days.

A woman's got to do what a woman's got to do

Candelaria Silva — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:26:19 -0500

I didn't know the strength I had or the capacity I could develop until I had children. I did what I had to do for them. They didn't ask to be brought into the world and so they often gave me the incentive to do more than I thought possible. It wasn't fair but it was the way it is. I don't regret it at all.

I worked after my children were 3 and 5 respectively. I've worked very demanding jobs since they were teens and after they launched into their adult lives. I've watched friends with no children work their arses off. What I've learned is that you should do the best job you can at the many roles you have, but realize that work doesn't care about you, it just cares that you do the work. People have a short period of time to be children, looking to be producted, nurtured and loved by the people charged with doing this for them.

Having the most stuff, having everything material you want, nothing substitutes for having satisfying relationships. If one wants to live in the big city and one is able to pinch pennies until they holler and work with others to seek out all opportunities and ways to cut corners, you can have a grand life on little money.

Thanks.

Candelaria- Good and plenty!

A woman's got to do what a woman's got to do

Candelaria Silva — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:26:14 -0500

Thanks.

Candelaria- Good and plenty!

Well said!

depechemom — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 21:49:43 -0500

You have done all women-not just mothers-a huge service with this post! Ultimately it is about doing what is best for you and your family. Sometimes I find myself feeling badly for people who have chosen not to have children because I know what joy mine have brought to me. Then I remind myself that I am putting my feelings onto someone else, and that simply isn't right. The same goes for what you've said here. Do what's right for you, but don't think that what you've chosen is right for someone else.

Thanks, again, for a truly thought provoking post!!

we should change things

lolagoetz — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:55:22 -0500

And if we women all banded together and supported each other, maybe staying home for a while before going back to work would NOT put us off track in our careers, either. If we demand that companies not penalize us for raising our children, maybe it would matter less that we took one or two or ten years off. Yes, there is a learning curve when heading back. But have you seen the news of some companies that are helping women keep in contact when they're on leave so they aren't so behind when they come back? (I'll have to try and find the article I just recently read on that.)

Becky
http://misspriss.org

Young Women Can Change This Ridiculous Debate...yes Ridiculous!

Lovebabz — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 18:26:47 -0500

Hugs, kisses and Mama spit to you for acknowledging the roles of mothers. All mothers are working mothers! It is up to you and other young women like Elana to shift this conversation. All willing mother's work is hard and challenging and joyous. When I hear women pitted against each other on the "stay-at-home vs. the Out-of-the-home mother I want to SCREAM. Here is an issue that if women wrapped their arms around could change the world. Imagine if women supported each others roles, there would be respect for women who hold it down at a 9 to 5 and Women holding it down on the home front. There is no better than, there are only women who are mothers trying to make a way for children in this world.

Love,
Babz
www.lovebabz.blogspot.com

Love,
Babz

I found it energizing

Elana Centor — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:43:00 -0500

At age 23 I definitely was not interesting in having children. I didn't make up my mind until I was 32. I liked it so much I did it again when I was almost 38. I worked the entire time. Here's the secret( I think) .when you have children what seems like sheer chaos,annoyance and an energy depletor to the outside world can actually serve as an energizer. I think it has to do with unconditional love.
Now, does that mean I was never exhausted when I came home and wished I didn't have to do anything but veg? Of course. I had my moments.

But for me, being with my kids when they were young gave me my second wind and helped put life, work and the world in perspective. Which is a good thing because many a night after they fell asleep I did my second shift of work.

Now that I will be an empty-nester in several weeks I only look back at those days with fondness . And with no regrets. I worked a lot and I cherished the time I had with my kids.
elana
Blogher Contributing Editor,Business&CareersFunnyBusiness

Agree

abswyg — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 20:05:09 -0500

Thanks, Mom2Amara. Well said. We do need to give up the guilt. Only, easier said than done.

Amy S.
Up With Moms (http://upwithmoms.blogspot.com/)