05.23.07

Balancing Work & (Step)Families: Tough Choices

Posted in News at 1:32 pm by Dawn Miller

Salon has an interesting article called “The Invisible Mommies,” examining recent books on women and work - and the choices all of us struggle to make when balancing the demands of a home and childcare with a career. It goes into the old debates we have all heard a thousand times:

Are working mothers and care-givers more secure and fulfilled than those who stay home?

Are mothers and care-givers who stay home more fulfilled than those who work outside the home?

What do you give up by opting to stay home? What do you give up by returning or staying at work?

What career risks are stepmoms assuming by taking on child-rearing responsibilities?

Can you go back to work after staying at home to raise children for an extended period of time? How will it affect your career path and earning power?

How receptive are workplaces to allowing flexibility, time off and shared working arrangements for workers who need them? And how do they feel about people returning to the workplace after a break for child-rearing?

Rather than arguing with each other about who is holier and more fulfilled - could we advocate for policies and support for all families that have children? So people can make their own choices about what type of working/daycare/at home care arrangements work for them and have the best support for making those decisions?

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