Women constitute nearly half the work force in this country, approximately 47 percent, yet many moms feel conflicted about working outside the home, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center’s Social and Demographic Trends Project.
With back-to-school season sliding into a chilly fall, I have found yet another thing to feel conflicted and guilty about: fear of my kids getting sick and the domino effect of me having to miss work. With fear and trepidation, I just opened another email from my four-year-old’s preschool director fearing another illness outbreak. Sure enough, on the heels of yesterday’s announcement of Lice running rampant through the classroom, Hand, Foot & Mouth disease has also been diagnosed.
Sitting here sneezing away, I’ve been fighting a cold that’s getting worse by the hour. (And I am no doubt annoying my new officemate on his first day, but that’s another story.) I can fight through it, but if my little guy gets nits in his hair or rashes on his hands, we can’t put a happy face on it. He will have to stay home – and so will I.
While this is the reality of being a working mom, I long for the days when I freelanced at home and didn’t really have to report into anyone that I couldn’t “come to work.” I am so worried about possibly having to miss work that I could actually use a mental health day to calm down about it. Then I feel guilty about wanting that.
Maybe I should just come down with the flu – which I might. I can’t get a flu shot for another ten days.
