12 Working Mom Myths You Should Stop Believing Right Now
Mothers can do impossible things. But they have to face a struggle. That is, they have to work and be a mother at the same time. However, the biggest challenge of mothers these days is to overcome the myths of working moms our culture imposes on them.
Many people still believe that women can raise children or do their jobs, but they can’t do both. But we all know it is not true because millions of women are raising their families while still working to support them.
1 Your work suffers
It is the opposite. Most women become more productive as soon as they become a parent. They know that they have more on their plate and they need to find ways so they can be more efficient by working smarter. For them, their ultimate motivator to do well at their job while providing for their family and kids is parenthood.
2 Working mothers are no fun
They are known to make a schedule and perform jobs with no margin for error. Because of that, people thought they are a total buzzkill. But it is not true. They always look for an opportunity to find joy in what they do. For example, they look forward to the day when they get to spend dinner with their busy friends.
3 They work just to pay for daycare
The cost of childcare can be significant. A lot of parents decide to stay home with their kids, so they do not have to pay for childcare. But working mothers know that work is not just about providing food for the family.
Rather, it is also about cultivating a part of themselves that feed their soul. It is true that they need money. However, they want to be valued for their skills that can only be developed outside raising kids.
4 Working moms spend less time caring for their kids than did their parents
Today’s mothers devote more of their time in taking care of their children than parents in earlier eras. In 1965, working mothers spent three hours on child care. But the times doubled by 2003. Not to mention how modern moms manage to do all the chores these days.
5 They do not work as much as working fathers do
Both men and women have equal hours of work. But the real issue here is not about how much they work. Rather, it is about defining what work is. The truth is, housework is an unpaid work that still works. Our society has to redefine what work is. It must include work outside an office.
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6 Working mothers are not efficient at work
In a 2014 study, it showed that working mothers outperformed fathers and childless women at work. In fact, mothers were considered to be the most productive. Although a child can take a toll on the mother’s productivity, women, who did plan to become a mother, showed to be more efficient.
7 Working mothers are likely to have failed marriages
The values of a couple are predictors of having a stable marriage. And it is not about whether or not the wife works. In a study, researchers found that having shared chores and child care are linked to better marital well-being.
Furthermore, the study revealed that the happiest couples are those in the upper-middle class. These are couples who prefer to have two breadwinners in the family. The families who are least happy are those who believe that the husband must be the breadwinner but they both work because of financial necessity.
8 They can have what they want
Every working mother wants to have a career, kids and a life without a struggle. But working mothers know that no person can have it all. It is not possible. Unfortunately, people do not challenge working fathers to a “have it all” goal.
Working mothers with employment camps and suffer from wage inequality are set up to fail. Our culture must change and evolve past the current mindset that having it all means succeeding in all aspects of a working mother.
9 Working moms can’t be CEO
People are still critical of women being a CEO. They thought that women abandoned their kids while they go to work. These individuals also believe that women are emotional and businesses should not be run based on emotions. They won’t listen to a CEO who is nursing a child. Because for them, women belong in the home.
This perception is the reason women are still battling toward equality. But we all know that many other women have become leaders in their companies and organizations.
10 They can’t be a good boss
In a poll, men and women said that they would want a male boss than a female one. Women are always seen in a negative way when they are working.
But a research found that women-led companies outperform organizations led by men. Women who are in charge get the results they want because they have to work hard to earn respect from their male counterparts. That said, women can be an excellent boss, too.
Women are tough enough to become effective leaders. They also can create environments that require participatory leadership. In fact, we need women leaders to create sustainable economic growth and global competitiveness.
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11 Working moms can’t handle problems in the business that involves math
It is a myth that math is hard for girls. That is because more women are breaking the math and science departments. The real issue here is how to encourage girls to pursue their dreams in this area. Women are as good as men in math and sciences.
12. They are bad mothers
Modern mothers are doing more for the cognitive development of their kids than they were before. Women spend more than an hour of their day to have a quality time with their kids. Moreover, a study showed that female workers were less likely to be depressed or sad. It’s good news for mothers and their kids.
There are still people who believe these myths. There is still work that needs to be done to debunk these myths. However, there is much to celebrate because more and more women are making a mark in business and economy.
We have to acknowledge this fact and focus on the positive direction that women are going. In this way, we can build a positive momentum in our society.