Give Motherhood a Badge of Honor

Back in the days of yore, the status of women was straightforward: maintain their virginity until marriage and then pursue the prize of motherhood to preserve the family name. Bearing children at a certain timeframe also meant embracing the world of adulthood and for the simple reason of being recognized as a "respectable Victorian lady." In fact, in 19th century Britain, "embarking into womanhood is more of an assumption than a decision. Producing heirs was at the top of the list of reasons to have offspring, and society believed that producing a son was a service a wife owed a husband and his family," stated Judith S. Lewis in her book In the Family Way. In this day and age, however, marriage and children take on a whole new meaning.

Many mothers in the United States--new and experienced alike--often face the dilemma of either returning to their regular, outside work or taking on the combination role of a homemaker and a self-made employee/employer. These women can also be married or vice versa. The decision about seeking job opportunities without eliminating much-needed time with children takes on a more significant twist just after pregnancy. As LaDonna Vick bluntly explained: "what [she] didn't prepare for is how organized you must be in order to get everything done. [She] just knew with this opportunity to stay home and work, [she] would have no problem. [She] soon figured out this precious thing called 'time', kept creeping up on [her]..." Having the opportunity to work in one's residence is no different than making a living outside as the addition of children and chores mean constant planning and organization to fit everyone and everything within 24 hours. Such a unique situation is synonymous to applying the discipline in arranging one's assignments on certain days to meet deadlines for an online university versus simply following a more structured schedule within the confines of a brick-and-mortar school. Work-at-home mothers (or WAHMs), for this reason, invest in some type of organizer to improve efficiency levels.