From another mother

From one mother to another, parenthood is one of the most enriching experiences. The experience of being a mother is so different for every mother, with every one wanting the same results to nurture and cultivate the goodness that is naturally in each one of our children. Factors of money, time management, and job stability can affect this experience greatly; whether mothers work in or out of the home.

The working mother can provide a financial boost to the family. This is extremely helpful with today’s economy. She can procure more money as she continues to work gaining experience that employers find valuable. Yet she also has to pay for daycare, which can be very expensive, so she has to make sure the dollar she earns is worth all the extra stress she takes on. She is also put in a position to divide her loyalties between work and home, which unfortunately, leaves one or the other lacking the full benefits of her dedication.

The mother who works in the home does not provide any currency assistance. Her being at home can save the family money on things such as day care, gas, and other services rendered on a daily basis. Her ability to dedicate herself so completely to the rearing of the children benefits the whole household. She can drop everything to attend to the varying needs of her children without fear of termination. Her skills in multi-tasking all her never ceasing duties, should earn her money, but the fruits of her labors will arrive later in life.

The house mother may take a more leisurely pace in time management. Her approach to her children and the amount of housework she can get done is not rushed in an ever growing crunch to get things done. Being at home gives her opportunities to bond with her children at a slow paced fruition. She may even have time allotted for volunteering at the children’s school, making homemade treats, and occasionally time for herself as well.

With the working mother having to work a forty hour a week, eight a.m. to five p.m. type of a job, may feel more rushed. She may feel more stressed trying to accomplish all the things she has on her to do list, and more often than not puts herself last, continuing the stress cycle. Running home to make dinner, sometimes even giving up on nutritional content for fast food in order to save time, helping with homework and getting them ready for the next day may seem to some as a mad dash, hectic rush to get things done. Her insistence on routine and order can rule this chaos down to a well-oiled precision. When she does have time off from her job, she covets and treasures this time to spend with her kids and loved ones.

The working mother has a career which adds strength to her résumé, making her more hirable. A sense of job stability that even in an ever changing working environment can provide her with opportunities to employment, which only years of actual work experience may provide. The working mother may also earn retirement benefits that can carry her through her later years.

The home mother has a lack of job security. When her children are grown and living lives of their own, she may have trouble finding employment. Her choice to be at home may leave her résumé lacking for actual job experience. Her age and lack of job references can put her at risk for being unemployable. If she can find a minimum wage position, she may be able to climb the career ladder, but on her retirement contributions and her over all life time earnings, she would be far behind her counterpart the working mother.

Working in or out of the home each provides challenges that mothers meet time and time again. We are willing to sacrifice and give of ourselves to motherhood in ways that are beyond all comprehension. This task we take on is a labor of love that we devote our whole selves to, with a since of duty, honor, and completion. No other undertaking paid or not, could ever be worth it. We all have a strong inner warrior that we rely on to complete and tackle any obstacle. The goals of motherhood are the same for either case; to raise good, productive people. The return on the investment mothers put in is immeasurable. The amount of love we have for our children will grow immensely over time. How we obtain our goals differs vary little, in this experience just as long as the wanted outcome is the same from one mother to another.