Why are more moms working in the U.S. than ever before? It’s not just about money. You won’t believe the variety of answers I got when I interviewed a collection of women to find out the reason why moms work more now than ever before.
US Department of Labor statistics show 70% of American mothers with kids at home are now in the workforce, and 75% of them have full-time jobs. I don’t think any mother should feel judged for her decision whether to work or stay home, so I want to replace the shame with empathy by letting women explain for themselves the reasons that led to their choice or if they felt they had no choice.
I created this video to give you a glimpse into the lives of nine different working moms who reveal why they really leave their kids to go to a job. I introduce you to mothers who feel good about working and know how to deflect criticism of it, and others who have cried about going to work and worried about its impact on their children. Their professions range from executive to nurse to author.
I explain in the video how I went back to work myself way sooner than I expected after my first baby, because of an off-hand comment to my boss at the TV station where I worked as a reporter at the time.
This is the first in a series of weekly videos featuring different working mothers answering questions about one topic related to juggling work and kids.
Those weekly videos are part of my YouTube channel called Working Mom Warrior, which I created to share the inside secrets of working moms from a variety of backgrounds. Each video reveals a candid look at the wisdom and flaws of different working moms — to help you learn, grow and be inspired to face another day of frenzy and fulfillment.
If you want a dose of insight for and about working moms in a new video every week, subscribe to my Working Mom Warrior YouTube channel.
If you have questions or topics to suggest for my next round of interviews, share them in the comments along with a description of your reason for working or other tips for staying sane while nurturing career and children.
Working Mom Warrior 
Why? Decades of feminism and women looking down on homemakers. That’s why. It isn’t rocket science.
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You are correct. Feminism is a big reason (though not the only reason) why so many mothers work. It is a good for women to have the choice to work. And you are correct that some women look down on homemakers. I don’t think that’s good for women to judge each other. I support any woman who chooses to not work and to stay home to focus on her children. I also support any woman who decides to work and find a good caregiver to help raise her children while she is working, either full-time or part-time. The world is a better place because women are contributing in so many fields and are not held back by restricted roles. I do think it is sad that some women want to stay home with their children and not work but can’t afford that. I hope those women are able to find a way to work from home to be able to spend the time with their children that they choose or figure out how to cut back their expenses to reduce their need to work.
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