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| Stay At Home Mums |
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| It's an interesting choice of word, 'demote', but well in-keeping with the general opinion I am exposed to when confronted by my working contemporaries. Pre-children, if anyone ever asked what I did for a living I would reply "I'm an applications specialist". "How glamorous," they might say, or "Intriguing" , "tell me about what you do" , "I bet you're minted!" and so on. Now I say "I'm a housewife.". The response I get is similar to what it would be if I had said "I'm a loser". Often I hear "Oh well, never mind" or "perhaps you can go back in a year or two." Some well-meaning idiots even say "That's nothing to be ashamed of." as though I might have been at some point. And yet I'm still the same person. Scratch that, I'm actually a better person now, in that I am no longer selfish, self-obsessed and chronically vain, and now have a great deal more patience than I ever thought possible. And still I, and many others in a similar situation, am frequently evaluated as a lesser mortal than my working counterparts. |
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| A short time ago, in an effort to support my husbands' over-stretched income, I interviewed for a part-time job which required initiative, organisational skills, teamwork and dealing with people. Off the record, a secretary said it would be unlikely I would get the job as my prospective manager would consider my brain to be 'addled by children' during my non-working years and incapable of the skills required. |
| Although children do have a tendency to interrupt continuous trains of thought, I can think of no better example of organisational skills than getting four kids out of the door on a Monday morning having breakfasted them all, washed and dressed three of them, and ensured that two have their lunch/snack/PE kit/homework/bags and two have a change of clothes/bib/nappy/dummy/teddy bear etc. and still arrive in school in time for the line up, without forgetting to put on one's lipstick. Teamwork also, is vital when ganging up with other mums to run a mums and toddlers group; Initiative is absolutely essential in dealing with the endless stream of religious group representatives and double-glazing salesmen who rap at your front door throughout the day. Furthermore, there is no greater test of tact and diplomacy than, when heavily pregnant, responding for the hundredth time to the remark "Are you still here, then?" without actually punching someone in the mouth. Employers be advised: there is a lot to be gained from this often badly misplaced section of society, who are frequently seen standing behind the counter at the local Spar, or stacking supermarket shelves at weekends. Because the hours we are available are limited, and because we have been away from a working environment for a number of years in no way reduces our ability to perform miracles every day - you try getting a four-year-old to eat cabbage - and so I would conclude by saying this to anyone interviewing one of my kind; Don't dismiss us out of hand or categorise us under the filename 'limited' - it's just possible that we could be better at your job than you are. �S A Owens 18.8.00 |
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