Realizing the Value of Working Mothers During COVID-19

News Peg

With the COVID-19 pandemic still in full-swing even during this past Mothers Day, there hasn’t been a more important time to value the work of mothers across the globe.

70% of American mothers with children under the age of 18 are in the labor force, with 75% of them working full-time, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

 Mothers are the primary earners for 40% of households in the U.S. with children under the age of 18.

In a vulnerable and dangerous time like the pandemic, working mothers face the struggle of managing responsibilities at home and at work, while remaining safe and healthy.

What Mothers Do Best

While mothers who aren’t forced to go to a workplace also face the struggle of juggling housework and taking care of at-home children, mothers who are scientists, pharmacists, doctors and nurses face the struggle of infecting their loved ones as they also have to manage their responsibilities at home.

81% of working moms, in a recent poll, stated that the pandemic has negatively affected their attentiveness at work. More than half  of those mothers stated their anxiety and uncertainty in their personal lives have caused this anxiety. 

Dr Laura Sherbin, an economist and managing director at Culture@Work, stated in an NBC News interview, “Working moms, who are lucky enough to have their job right now are unable to do what they need to do to deliver across multiple demands. Nearly half of working moms are sacrificing rest and sleep and are not experiencing support.’

The struggle for women across the globe is a three way battle: to succeed at work, to be there for their children, and to survive. 

What We Learn From Mothers

And yet, despite the stress and workload piled up by the pandemic, mothers continue to fight. 

They became teachers for their children when schools closed down. 

They became the nurses and doctors fighting to save lives. They became young mothers staying up late nights putting their babies to sleep. They became house cleaners when their homes became playgrounds and remote office spaces. They became cooks who planned what meals to make, to prevent the least amount of outside exposure.

They continue to fight. And they continue to put on a smile.  
The pandemic has taught us to be grateful for what we have, amongst many other things. At the core, life is what we have. And thus, who we must value is the person who not only gave us this life but continues to nourish us even in the middle of a pandemic- our mothers.