Benefits of Being a Working Mother

In 2018, working mothers’ labor force participation rate increased to 71.5%, representing a 0.4% spike from the previous year’s figure of 71.1% (BLS, 2018). While this figure highlights the significant progress women have made in seeking gainful employment, it masks the grim reality surrounding young mothers’ labor force participation rates. Statistics from the Bureau of Labor (BLS) Statistics indicate that only 65.1% of mothers with children who are younger than six years are working or actively looking for work. This is in sharp contrast to the working dads’ labor participation rate. Statistics suggest that 93.3% of fathers are working or actively applying for jobs. These statistics are shocking. They suggest that a significant proportion of young mothers are missing out on the benefits of being a working mom. Being a working mother improves children’s wellbeing, enhances mothers’ happiness levels, transforms women into well-rounded individuals, and improves marital satisfaction.

Working moms’ involvement in the labor market has a positive influence on children’s wellbeing. Greenberg and Avigdor, in What Happy Mothers Know, offer crucial insight into the positive influence of mothers’ labor market involvement on their children. In an interview with teenagers raised by working moms, a significant proportion stated that having a mother who works improved their independence (Greenberg & Avigdor, 2009). The majority of the respondents claimed that their mothers’ involvement in work improved their ability to cope with challenges and made them more relaxed about going to college. A subsequent interview with teenagers raised by stay-at-home moms revealed that spending time with their mothers harmed their independence. They were more anxious about going to college and experienced challenges in coping with problems. Such outcomes confirm that being a working mom confers significant long-term benefits to children.

Being a working mom enhances mothers’ happiness levels by giving them a strong work/life balance. An online survey by Accenture, a global management consulting firm, revealed that 70% of all working mothers believe that their labor involvement makes it easier for them to have a successful career while having a positive influence on their children (Greenberg & Avigdor, 2009). Further, findings from the online survey suggested that up to 74% of working mothers in mid- to senior-level management are happy and contented that their work/life balance is “right” most of the time. These findings suggest that most working mothers derive pleasure from the knowledge that they have managed to strike a firm balance between their careers and motherhood. This positive outcome confirms that happiness is one of the perks that come with the status of being a working mom.

Along with happiness, being a working mother transforms women into well-rounded individuals. Involvement in the workforce exposes mothers to opportunities and events that help them develop a set of competencies that give them fully developed personalities. Nickells, in The Funny Side of Living with ADHD, underlines this point when she argues that although working severely curtailed the time she spent with her family, it transformed her into a well-rounded mother. According to Nickells (2010), working permits mothers to learn life’s lessons the hard way. Due to the limited time spent with the children, mothers go on last-minute holidays and other escapades that they may have not done had they been stay-at-home moms (Nickells, 2010). In the process, they improve their goal orientation, enhances their ability to manage different projects, and strengthens their capacity to handle high-pressure situations. With these personality benefits, the working mom becomes a well-rounded individual.

As well as the outlined psychosocial benefits, being a working mom has a positive influence on marital satisfaction. When a mother is involved in gainful employment, the family gains through her economic contribution and her improved psychological wellbeing. According to Cox (2008), studies on the link between working moms and marital satisfaction have presented findings that support the view that marriages in which the wife’s decision to work arises from her personal choice rather than economic necessity have higher levels of marital satisfaction. Further, the studies have also reported higher levels of marital satisfaction in families where the wife works part-time. The studies attribute the heightened levels of marital satisfaction to the positive effect of the mother’s labor force involvement on the degree of equity in couples’ power and influence within their households. As these studies suggest, there is a causal link between mothers’ work involvement and increased marital satisfaction.

In conclusion, working confers four important benefits to mothers. Being a working mom improves their children’s independence and ability to handle stress. Further, working enhances the woman’s satisfaction and happiness, transforms mothers into individuals with fully developed personalities, and augments marital bonds by transforming women into a positive influence within their homes. Young mothers should improve their labor participation rate and enjoy many of the outlined perks. Living children at home will mean that a mother misses many milestones. However, the benefits accruing from working will offset many of these losses.

References

1. BLS. (2018). Employment characteristics of families. Washington, DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2. Cox, F. (2008). Human intimacy: Marriage, the family, and its meaning. New York, NY: Cengage Brain.
3. Greenberg, C., & Avigdor, B. (2009). What happy working mothers know: How findings in positive psychology can lead to a healthy and happy work/life balance. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
4. Nickells, E. (2010). The funny side of living with ADHD. New York, NY: Troubador Publishing.