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I was shocked to learn that being a mother is the single biggest risk factor for poverty in old age in the United States. Yes, along with the countless joys, there are high costs associated with being a mother in our society. It doesn?t matter whether you work full-time, part-time, or stay at home; none of us is immune to the cultural norms and workplace and public policies that impact our ability to support and care for our families ?- and ourselves. Truth is, caring for children (and other family members, like our own parents!) is not valued the way paid work is in our culture, yet it is critical to the functioning of our economy and society. And we mothers pay the price.
As a mother to a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old, I have experienced the challenges of balancing work and family. Every parent has. Whether it?s needing a reliable, clean and private place to pump breast milk on the job; taking time off work to care for a sick family member; finding accessible, affordable child care; or dealing with the short- and long-term financial impacts of staying at home full time, there are many areas where workplace and public policies fall short of supporting healthy families. And, as with anything, it?s hard to change it if you don?t understand it.
Which is why I?m so excited to be participating in a new discussion and action course created by Family Forward Oregon. It?s called The High Cost of Motherhood and How We Can Change It. Over the next six weeks I will gather weekly with about 15 other Portland area moms to discuss several short readings and map out a path to action. The course sessions cover these topics:
* The Economic Marginalization of Mothers
* Does Work Work?
* The Care Economy
* Supporting Families US-style vs. the Rest of the World
* Taking Action: Some Solutions
* Taking Action: But How?
So you can follow along with our readings and conversations, Metro Parent has asked me to blog weekly about what we read, what issues come up, and what kind of action we want to take. I hope you will follow along and join our conversations! Comment and post your questions and I?ll bring them to the group to discuss.
One book we?ll be reading several chapters from is Ann Crittenden?s The Price of Motherhood: Why the Most Important Job in the World is Still the Least Valued.
Are you interested in starting a discussion group of your own? The folks at Family Forward Oregon will help you get it started. Just email Lisa Frack at info@familyforwardoregon.org to learn more.
Written by Erin Barone, Family Forward Oregon communications ?returnship? intern
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