Off To Work We Go

No matter how many web sites I searched, I was surprised to find that the lyrics to Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, from the Disney movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, weren’t as I expected. I thought that it was “Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, it’s OFF TO work we go.” Every site I checked, Disney included, had them as, “Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho it’s HOME FROM work we go.” What’s the biggie about off to or home from work you ask?

Well, to a Comeback Mom, it’s a very big deal. First, it’s a big deal to go off to work when you have children and of course, it’s a big deal when you come home from work as well. Honestly, its 2007, I thought that whether or not a Mother chooses to work would be old news. It seems that it’s not. Mothers with grandchildren, children now in college or those with newborns face the age old, same old problems and questions. Should I work? If I stay home with my children, when and how will I return to work? Who will want to hire me when I’m ready to return to work? If I work now, who will care for my children? How can I advance when I need a flexible schedule or I don’t put in all the required face/overtime? How can I afford day care on my salary?

I’m not spending time here discussing pay inequality between men and women. There are many theories, reasons and decisions that people make including the choice of occupation and the time someone is willing to spend doing that particular job that may account for pay discrepancies. If she works, the judgment and financial award should be according to one thing - merit. How well she does her job. I want to discuss the nature of work for Women with children.

With all the issues to address, why do women with children even work? We work for the economic security of our families whether or not we have assistance in that mission. We work to better ourselves and make a contribution to society. We work to pay for our children’s education. We work to provide a home, food and future for our children and ourselves. We work so when we are older and unable to work we will have, hopefully, a source of income and not be dependent upon our children. We work for all of the same reasons that men work. It should no longer be a question for a woman with children why she chooses to work. She along with her family decides whether or not to work outside of the home, away from all the work that children and households require.

What I do want to talk about is OFF TO or HOME FROM work. The truth to this matter is that most women with children have no distinction of WORK. They WORK at home so they go from WORK at home to WORK at work. They WORK at work, so they go from WORK at work to WORK at home! The seven dwarfs and many others, may be able to sing, “Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho its HOME FROM work we go,” but all working Mothers know that’s just not a luxury we have to sing that song. Working Mothers are singing a whole different song, “Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, it’s OFF TO work we go.” It’s work, work, work, work, work, work, work, “Heigh-ho, Heigh-Ho, Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, it’s” HOME TO work we go, it’s work, work, work, work, work, work, work, “Heigh-ho, Heigh-Ho!” You want someone who will work well, hire a Working Mother! Now that’s someone who knows all about work.