I met a woman recently who when I asked her what she did for a living she responded…
“I chose motherhood as a career.”
This grabbed my interest like a half price sale at John Lewis.
I have never seen motherhood as a career…occasionally I have seen it as a job with little recognition, crap pay, poor hours and no healthcare. On particularly sunny days when positioned in a beer garden with a G&T in hand watching my offspring play I have considered motherhood a blessing. When absent from my kids I think there is no better life that being a mum; but I have to be honest on some days when my nerves have been pushed to breaking I have seen motherhood as a jail sentence with no parole.
But a career?
Then I started to panic, is there a contract I missed where motherhood can be opted into as a career. Did I forget to sign something when ‘coming down’ from the effects of an epidural? Was it only offered to women who struggled through on gas and air and tore from arse to fanny?
If I can be a career mother do I then have a boss? If so who is she? Is she God? Or is it Mother Nature?
If it is a career can I push myself, rise through the ranks and employ a trainee mother to do the shite I don’t want to do? Namely nappies that reek like land fills, school runs in the rain and childbirth!
If you can choose this as a career can I take a sabbatical? I only want two weeks a year to sit on a beach alone without some nineteen year old student bellowing down a microphone telling me the family pool tournament is about to begin following a package holiday rendition of Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini…
Can I work flexi hours? Ideal for me would be weekdays between nine and five, I would expect overtime rates to be paid outside of that at least at double pay.
Can I bring a grievance? I can’t even begin to detail that list…
Surely if I can transfer to being a career mum I must be already at board level, what with three kids? Or do you have to join the PTA to enhance your CV to achieve promotion?
Can you choose motherhood as a career? And if so does anyone know the pay?
I would imagine that grandmotherhood is the promotion – you know, all the love and devotion, and lots of fun with the kids, but getting to hand them back for the nappy changes!
Jesus that’s a long way off….
Arse to fanny. Ouch. And what about sick days? Those should be written in.
Unpaid I feel
I’m with you here. I’ve heard it described as a career but I don’t view it quite like that, for all of thr above reasons. Theres nothing like motherhood to polarise experience – its either great or like you so aptly desribed, a jail sentence. Being a mum is something I do, its not a career, where’s the promotion?
Jail sentence, we are Such good mums!! X
Ooh a career? Does that mean I have (kind of) two at the moment? I wouldn’t mind the overtime one but. Actually, with all the wake ups I would have a nice little pot put aside for luxury holidays 🙂
Haha. Think you may luck out on that one….
I think Lisa’s got a point about grandparenthood being the promotion. A long time to wait though – at least we hope! Great post – funny, but true.
A very long time to wait….
Can you send me a job spec please, someone forgot to give me one at the hospital….
Too late am afraid you will have to stick with the day job
You are the bloody CEO! so funny, actual LOL moments!
Why thanks very much
I wouldn’t have said motherhood was a career but I kind of get where their coming from from a stay-at-home mother perspective. I happily made the career choice to quit paid employment to look after my children 24/7 and I always say that if that wasn’t such an important job then why does it cost so flippin much for someone else to look after them.
I guess thinking about it then motherhood isn’t a career but it is a job, whether you are a stay-at-home mother or work in an office full time. It is most importantly though a way of life and a commitment that you never get to retire from.
Now, who do I see about a pay rise…..?
Completely agree it is a way of life but for me career is a work choice and yes comes with a salary!
This has cheered up my day!
Motherhood is not a career, but I guess some of us choose to put our career on hold whilst looking after the children (whether staying at home or not with them). I would say it is a lifestyle choice, at the moment I have chosen to stay at home and look after my toddler and be able to collect my kids from school, I could have chosen to go back to work to a job (I lacked a career).
I am going to start hunting though and see if I can find that bit of paperwork with the contract on it, it must be here somewhere…
Happy hunting
It can be a career. There are grown men who will pay good money to be mothered. You’ve got to be busty though.
I can do busty….
A career? As you say, no pay = no career.
Also, it would fall so foul of equal opportunities legislation. Only women could apply.
Some good points, is effectively slave labour
What a ridiculous statement! Sometimes I think those women who make such efforts to justify their (entirely personal) lifestyle choices are only highlighting their own lack of confidence or pride in their achievements in their previous careers. Oooh sorry for the mini- rant – touched a nerve!!
You can rant here whenever you like x
A career? That’s a novel way of looking at it. Life sentence is always the phrase I’ve had in mind.
*high five*
Being a SAHM I obviously have an opinion on this and it’s no no no no no no no NO.
Did I say no?
No ‘motherhood’ is not a career. I gave up my career to become a a SAHM. Do I regret it? Hell, no (or I’d have to change my feckin’ blog title doh!) I loved having a career and I love being a SAHM but the two are definitely not the same.
My kids didn’t get the memo on not getting snot and sick all over me today that’s for sure!
LOL. Your kids win on bodily functions today x
You’re kidding, we can choose motherhood as a career and get weekends off and a sabatical? Why did nobody tell me about this? *stern face*
It is a rumour – I have yet to see proof!
Brilliant. Pah, what was this woman on? If motherhood is a career i’m pants at delegating!!!!!
You and me both lovely, plus I never remembered committing to having two jobs!