Comments on: Define “Working Mom.” OK, You’re All Correct

By: Meagan Francis

Meagan Francis — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:06:08 +0000

I don’t really define myself, I guess, because for so long I’ve been a working mom who’s also at home most of the time. The whole thing is a lot more ambiguous than the mommy-war-mongers allow for, isn’t it!

By: Shannon

Shannon — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:51:02 +0000

I’m having trouble defining myself! According to the dictionary, I’m definitely working all day long. However, I only consider myself “working” when I’m at the computer, not when I’m caring for my children, cooking dinner, picking up the house, etc. etc. etc. I need to expand my definition, but I guess I associate working with getting paid, which is wrong because so much of the work I do I don’t get financial compensation for!

By: BE ALL

BE ALL — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:48:07 +0000

WITHOUT WORKING WOMEN THIS PLANET WILL TURN TO SH*T

By: BE ALL

BE ALL — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:46:53 +0000

LET ME JUST SAY ALL WORKING WOMEN ARE GREAT

By: Kelli

Kelli — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:40:52 +0000

Well Lylah,

I’ve been on both sides of the fence and I’ll tell you - I do more work being an SAHM than I ever did when I was in the traditional go-to-an-outside-9to5-job.

I have 4 young children and I’m up first thing in the morning and the last one in bed at night.

I also did the part-time job thing where I stayed at home until 6pm and then worked until 10:30pm teaching medical classes at a vocational school.

So I’m a jack-of-all-trades mom whose done it all and it’s ALL WORK in my book.

By: Lylah

Lylah — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:32:46 +0000

Chrissy: I’m glad you enjoyed the post! And I think you are so right about today’s working mom needing to stop using the past as their main reference point.

klg: Good point! Thanks for sharing how you define Working Mom for yourself…

A Lost Writer: Thank you!

Mandy: No, I won’t slap you. I will, however, buy you a Tequlia the next time I see you (as long as there’s some available — we may have to bring our own!)

By: Mandy

Mandy — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:23:40 +0000

Lylah, I always love reading your point of view! Can you go back and slap me, too? Or, just come over and slap me now? Hee.

By: A Lost Writer

A Lost Writer — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:38:20 +0000

Great post, Lylah. It’s great to see that so many people agree that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer.

By: klg

klg — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:37:28 +0000

Like Floridian, I am also a bit more traditional and a lot of it is because I leave the house and “go to work”. I do believe that “working” is doing something that involves 100% of your attention and requires the other areas of your life to be temporarily cared for by another person. I work as a manager and I work as a mother to my children and I work as a wife. (Sadly for my husband, the wife role is not temporarily filled by another while I’m doing another activity. ) According to my bank only one of the three makes a monthly deposit, but I feel all require work.

This is a good question. The definition of “work” isn’t the same for everyone, but when I refer to myself as a working mother it is because I do something as Karen, not Mommy or Mrs. G and I am being paid to do it.

By: Chrissy

Chrissy — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:08:36 +0000

I think this is a perfect illustration of the gender biases and divides that continue to plague our culture. Mothers work whether they work outside of the home for a salary, work inside the home for a salary, or see no salary at all from their work. (Fathers too!)…I think the generation before us with their all or nothing attitude towards working mothers is continuing to influence our decisions as parents and parents-to-be, and it needs to stop. Thanks, Lylah for another thought-provoking blog!