The Plight of the Modern American Mother

Mothers in America are put under a great deal of pressure to do whatever is best for their children, an expectation that seems impossible to meet. In our patriarchal society, women, especially mothers, have less opportunity than men to accomplish any goals they may have. Mothers are expected to balance a job and housework and every single responsibly that comes with having kids. Single mothers are under even more pressure because they can be the sole provider and caretaker for their children. Despite how hard these mothers may work to better their children, society never believes they are doing enough. On top of that, non-white, poor, single mothers are the most likely to be criticized and deemed as careless parents, and in our society they are seen as criminal. So why can’t these poor mothers just get jobs so that their children can live comfortably?

                Raising a child can easily be a full time job, and without help from a spouse, single mothers do not have time for much else. Imagine not being able to afford childcare, a reality for many Americans, and without childcare you cannot get a job because your children cannot be left home alone all day. Even with a job, most, if not all, of your income will be going towards feeding your children and sending them to school, along with the countless other expenses.  You still probably could not afford the childcare you need. It is a vicious, endless cycle. The article “How to End the Criminalization of America’s Mothers” gives some shocking examples of the struggle many mothers face. Sanesha Taylor is an example of one mother who simply ran out of options and did what she felt she had to get out of the situation she was in. She was homeless and struggling to support her children so she went in search of a job. When she went in for the interview, she had no one to take care of her children so she left them in the car. She was arrested with charges of child abuse. If not for the support of certain strangers her charges most likely would not have been dropped.

                Hopefully the difficulties of motherhood are becoming more undeniable. To add to the problem mothers face in finding employment, if they do succeed it comes a price. That price is the wage gap, and it is very relevant to every female looking for work in this country. Statistically speaking, a woman in the workplace, compared to a man with the same job, is only making $.77 for every $1 that man makes. Even working a full time job, a single mother is unlikely going to struggle to support their children due to their low pay. The low wage can partially be attributed to the fact that women have the possibility of getting pregnant, and therefore may have to take a leave period. Businesses see this as an unnecessary expense and to compensate, the women they do hire, receive lower pay. 

Societies Solution:

                Instead of offering more welfare options for single, poor mothers, our nation chooses to point fingers and throw these moms in jail. They watch and wait for a mother to mess up and if and when she does, they call her unfit to be a parent and often attempt to take her children away from her. They tell her she should just get married and then somehow all her problems will go away. Our nation simply turns there back on the mothers out there that just need a bit of assistance.

The poverty rates in single mother families in America are shockingly high in comparison to other countries. What makes our rates so much higher is the lack of a welfare program for mothers in need. Most European nations have some sort of welfare plan in place to help mothers be able to support their families. These plans can provide childcare for working women, they can provide jobs for single mothers, and have other benefits such as child allowances. The effects of this aid are clear in the low poverty rates of these countries. Women are not given the same benefits in America as they are in many European countries. Earlier I brought up the issue of maternity leave, and here we see another area where our country is lacking. In our country women are typically given 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave, whereas other nations provide at least 12 weeks of paid leave, and some nations provide almost a full year of paid leave. An interesting article about how our nation’s high rate of single mother poverty compares to other nations, and how they have nearly ended their poverty problems, can be found here.

The Reform:      

                Our nation needs to realize the flaws in our system, whether it be our eagerness to criminalize mothers, or our inability to help those mothers in need. The implementation of a welfare program for poor mothers will go a long way. If we help mothers get jobs and give them childcare then they can better provide for their children and avoid the harsh judgment of society. Women also need to bring more attention to the wage gap and push for equal pay. We are discriminated against for our potential to get pregnant, and that ability is something all women are born with, not a choice we make. Along the lines of pregnancy, America needs to mend the maternity leave offered to pregnant women. Women should not be discourage from having kids because they fear they will have difficultly providing for a newborn while not being paid for 12 weeks. The best option is to ensure paid maternity leave, and potentially extend the leave for mothers who need time to find proper childcare. Most importantly, we need to collectively learn to commend mothers for the hard work they do and stop blaming them for every little mistake they might make.