When did the term "working mom" come into the popular vernacular? I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why any woman with a job and children would describe herself as a working mom. Is there some secret rewards program that these women sign up for? Am I missing something? I'm a mom too, and I run a business. Yet, I've never referred to myself as a working mom. Never. I don't ever plan to.
If you're a woman and the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, do you label yourself as a working mom? Noooo, you're a CEO! Ask Meg Whitman of Hewlett Packard or Mary Barra of GM if they start their conversations with "Hi, I'm so and so and a working mom." Ummm, I don't think so.
I am utterly gobsmacked when I read blogs, articles or tweets by women who joyfully and gleefully present themselves as card-carrying working moms. Or the self-indulgent articles pontificating and procrastinating about the pressures and challenges of working and raising children. And then that perfect female uber species, Gwyneth Paltrow, weighs in with her views on the hardships of being a working mom film star. Oy, what drama over what is simply a reality of life for many women.
My husband is a wonderful father, and great business leader, however, he does not refer to himself as a working dad. He carries as many responsibilities as I do raising our daughter, working and juggling life in general. In fact, I don't know one man who works while raising a family and calls himself a working dad. So why do we?
Women have come so far: earning the right to vote, equal pay and sexual freedom, and even getting into male-dominated clubs. We have pushed our way and excelled in vertical sectors traditionally dominated by men, from mining, construction and the military to media and even the automotive industry. But, somehow, we have no issue with being referred to as a "working mom." In fact, we have perpetuated and ushered in a movement so we can complain and whine, while boasting of our superhuman strengths.
It's like a coat of "soft armor" to show the world we can pull in a salary and have the stamina to drag darling daughter to dance every Tuesday and Thursday, keep a clean house and satisfy our man in the kitchen and in the bedroom. I say, big deal. Just watch the movie Norma Rae... (based on a true story of a mom factory worker) Sally Field transcends the concept of a working mom and does it with grace, honour and a fearlessness like no other.
So let's please abolish the term "working mom." It's not relevant anymore. Here's who you are: you're a CEO, you're a cashier, you're a waitress, you're a stripper, you're an actress, you're a management consultant or an entrepreneur. You're business woman. Stick to that.
Oh, and you also raise a family, too? Good for you.
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