18 January 2024 , 09:11
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The rights of parents in the workplace, especially mums, is a very contentious and important subject. Those that are in place now in the UK and US have been hard-fought and decades in the making but still have a long way to go. In many places around the world, women are still fighting for these opportunities.
For years, women were expected to be the main caregivers to children, foregoing their careers to have a family. Those who were able to afford the luxury of childcare, either through family support or wealth, were often frowned upon and criticised for seemingly choosing work over the happiness of their kids.
Those who choose, and can afford, to be a stay-at-home parent are often met with similar backlash from people who think looking after children day in, and day out, is not the same as having a full-time, and exhausting job.
A term called 'mommy tracking' is gaining popularity again after being discussed on parenting forum DC Urban Moms, and its meaning is blowing people's minds. Posted on the site, one mother wrote: "Seriously considering mommy tracking as a compromise to full-time stay-at-home mom.
"I have one daughter, considering a second in the next year. My husband would be thrilled if I decided to be a stay-at-home mom and pursue a vanity degree for kicks. I enjoy taking care of my family. I don't have expensive hobbies. I'm happiest when doing the traditional homemaker kinds of things. The family is most efficient when that's what I'm focused on. My husband is a solid partner, and puts in equal effort around the division of labour."
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"Anyone decided to do this? I work for a public sector employer and could easily just....show up to work, do the bare minimum....and keep my job until retirement. Just lean all the way out. I'm senior enough and in a niche role that I could just be left alone."
'Mommy track' is the term used to describe the employment path for mothers, usually meaning they end up in a slower and less steep career trajectory, a 'mommy track', that leads them behind non-mothers in the job ladder and largely decreases their probability to be promoted to a higher position.
Coined by writer Jennifer A. Kingson in 1988, in an article in The New York Times, where she described the career hurdles faced by law firm associates who sacrificed advancement potential once they had children. Although the practice will probably never be outright confirmed by a company, many women feel they are 'mummy tracked' at their place of work.
People reading the mom's post were torn, with many giving their thoughts. One person wrote: "If you do this then I sincerely hope you get fired. We don't pay taxes to subsidize a wannabe stay-at-home mom."
But another parent replied: "I would do it in a second. The reason over stay-at-home mom is money, security (life happens - divorce, death, job loss), personal satisfaction/something left for you after kids leave, power dynamic in the marriage, and retirement. And it sounds like you don't want to quit..."
*An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.