Just a Mom

Recently, I got into an interesting conversation with a woman without children. She felt the need for women to get past motherhood as any type of qualification.
I told her I am working for the most demanding boss/bosses on the face of the earth: my 4 kids.

Later this got me thinking…

There is an unspoken resume protocol in America. While it is customary to boast of your mediocre skills and that you speak “conversational” Spanish, you must never call yourself just a “Mom”. Especially if you have more than 2 children. It can and will be used against you.

What if being a Mom is the only job a woman is allowed to do? What if being a Mom is the only job you desire/want to do? If being a Mom is not considered an asset, what is the fate of the women with “just-a-mom” on their resumes? Many have sharp minds; common sense and heroic survival skills yet lack access to educational and career opportunities. Some have also gone on to have the educational and career opportunities and then chose to give those up.

I don’t see how possessing Mom skills do any more harm than the commonly accepted requirements of the public job. We all know the private sector works differently. There are many qualifications an employer looks for in a new employee. Many of today’s women have extraordinary skills enhanced by their experience as Moms.

I eventually decided my degree in “Mom” was an asset. When you have just worked for a boss that calls on you ~at all hours~ day and night, who frequently tests your danger reflexes, nerves, and throws objects around “practicing”, you gain a certain fortitude and skill. You develop a patience and mental clarity that is second to none.