Oh lockdown 1 what a difference a year makes.
You were so novel and new and with you came the joy and wonder of renewed time together as a family. There was no pressure to work, it was a never ending day of opportunity, filled with baking and Joe Wicks.
Now it’s all online lessons, demands for snacks and mum guilt.
We are struggling and it’s time the balance needs to shift.
Maternity Leave: The origins of mum guilt?
Maternity leave is often the longest period of time we get to spend with our children. This precious time is often woven with difficulties and pressures both internal and external to be the perfect parent. For many maternity leave is when mothers first start to experience mum guilt. The constant evaluation and criticism of everythung you do and whether it may be good enough. In this post I look at maternity leave and the pressure to be a good homemaker.
Motherhood & Feminism: Quitting Your Job to be a ‘Stay at home Mum’
I wanted to have a family, a career and to be financially independent.
By putting my career on hold to look after my children am I reinforcing the stereotype of the mother and not furthering the pursuit for women’s equality in the workplace following childbirth?
By not working am I dependent on my male counterpart and not sending the right message to my children about women’s roles?
Feminism is about empowering women to make informed choices about their own lives but as a ‘stay at home mum’ I feel most judged and unsupported by other women and mums.