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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]To the poster who is in research - as a SAHM, I am happy that your job has flexibility for you to find balance.  The problem is that women in this country do not have flexibility at job when they become mothers.  I also do not think that US will ever change regarding equal pay, paid maternity leave, flexible schedule, remote dial-in etc.

As a mom to a daughter, I have steered her into a professional track that allows for her to take time off for a baby, and I intend to provide her with child care.  But, this is such a sad state of affair.  [/quote]

It is not just women who don't have flexibility, many men don't have flexibility.

My Husband and I are able to make a two working parent household work because his job is as flexible as my job is. I can go into work at 6:30 AM and be home when school lets out. He can get into work by 10 AM, which allows him to be home for drop off at 8:30 and then get to work. When we have a sick kid or a snow day, he can go in later (12 or 1) so I can get some hours in before coming home.

But it only works because we both have flexible jobs. And it wasn't something that either of us planned for, we had our jobs long before we had our child.

We both realize that we are very, very lucky. We make good salaries and are able to flex time so that we are able to be at home for our child.

Too much of the parenting discussion is placed on flexibility for the Mom when the reality is that it only works well if there is flexibility for both parents. We need to move from the idea that the Mom needs to be available for sick days or snow days to both parents need to be available. As long as we continue to think about this as a Mom only issue, the more people longer we continue to look at the "risks" of hiring a woman because she might need to take time off for her family. That only perpetuates the wage and promotion gap that currently exists. [/quote]

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