wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] Alice from Westchester September 03, 2008 - 01:26PM

  I am still looking for employment after 9 months of unemployment.

  I don't find that employers prefer mature returning moms over young women. Law, medicine, finance, govt, retail.......they don't realize how stable, wise,responsible, and willing we can be.

  Would they want THEIR moms rejected in the workplace.........especially if the need is so great?

  
  
• [2] Perez Cruz Isabel from NYC September 03, 2008 - 01:29PM

  I left work as a cancer researcher after my second baby was born. I had already 20 years experience in research. The reason I left work was I could not afford the baby sitter and living 1 hr away from work. I stayed at home for 1.5 years. I came back at the work force not doing research of my own but for others. So my carrer has been downplayed because I want to give my kids some time and energy when I go back home every day. My husband's carrer is skyroocking, in contrast. I really belive that society has to give more support to mothers and to working mothers, more affordable childcare, etc. There is a lot of waste talent if women leave the owrk force.

  
  
• [3] Jennifer H from Brooklyn September 03, 2008 - 01:38PM

  Hi -

  Great topic.

  I only stayed away from work for a few months as we could not afford my not working. Now that I am working again it is as a full time freelancer. I work this way because i can assure that i only work from 9-5. I don't feel that I can commit to a full time because in my industry 9-5 is not really full time. I would love to be able to have another baby - but I feel like I have to make the choice between having another child and losing step in my career -(one that I started later in life) I am not well established in my field. I hate feeling like it is one or the other and that if I have another child and delay my career I become obsolete

  
  
• [4] Lisa Miller from Morristown, NJ September 03, 2008 - 01:45PM

  I am curious as to why the discussion is often framed as a choice that a woman makes: to work outside the home or to stay at home. Many women, including myself have no choice but work to support our family either as part of a team or alone. I usually view stay at home moms as very fortunate and envy them.

  
  
• [5] Peter from NYC September 03, 2008 - 01:51PM

  Just curious if the experience is similar for stay at home dads?

  
  
• [6] mark Brown from sos-newdeal.blogspot.com AND markbnj.blogspot.com September 03, 2008 - 01:53PM

  Hey. I have a good solution for this problem

  Nationally (paid) LOCAL daycare for all,

  starting at six months.

  Essentially this is a head-start type program

  The care-givers are also all local...

  Look here for more :

  http://sos-newdeal.blogspot.com/2008/07/proposal-mapaternity-leave-federally.html

  and here

  http://sos-newdeal.blogspot.com/2008/06/proposal-day-care-and-maternity-leave.html

  mark in NJ

  PS: it's ALL inter-related.

  This and living wage, and EVERYTHING

  
  
• [7] mark Brown from sos-newdeal.blogspot.com AND markbnj.blogspot.com September 03, 2008 - 01:58PM

  Child Care:

  Look at my blog for two detailed proposals for

  federally paid day care (starting at six months

  sos-newdeal.blogspot.com/2008/06/proposal-day-care-and-maternity-leave.html

  essentially it is a modified version of head-start educational program

  
  
• [8] Maggie from NYC September 03, 2008 - 02:08PM

  The parallels to the issues facing family caregivers are striking to me, especially young caregivers (people under 18 years old) who are caring for ill, disabled and/or elderly family members while putting off formal employment. I have been caring for my mother and grandmother since I was 17 years old. Now, more than a decade later I am still hesitant to take on full-time employment because of my need (real and imagined) to be available to my family. Having never started or established a career prior to the caregiving I am not considering going back, but getting a late start.

  A point was made about the skills one gets being a parent. This is true for young people in the caring role. We develop tremendous experience and skills that would be useful in any job we take on. It is difficult though to explain our lack of work experience to future employers.

  Also, the lack of intellectual stimulation and feelings of isolation caregivers experience may be similar to what mothers experience. The difference here is that young caregivers are still not on the radar of our society...it will be even longer before we are recognized and valued in order to receive much needed societal support we all deserve.

  
  
• [9] Gerda Lederer from White Plains, NY September 03, 2008 - 02:12PM

  You did not seem to have anyone in my age bracket - a worthwhile thought since the problem is not new. I am 82 years old and went to work at home after my children were born in 1949, 1052, and 1955. I went from technical editing for McGraw-Hill at their offices to freelancing for several publishers - and renting rooms. I changed my career often, for various reasons, and if I have a message to all of you who are young(er), life is long and you can learn and enjoy many new endeavors!