Paige Connell went viral when she took to social media to rant about the cost of childcare. We chatted about the rant that took her viral, and more broadly about the various struggles working parents face raising children in a society and an economy that undervalues the work of parents (especially moms).
On the bright side, the cost of childcare has become a prominent issue in the Presidential election. Unfortunately, the cost of childcare is only the tip of the iceberg. Yes, the cost of daycare for children who aren’t yet old enough for school is prohibitively expensive for many families. Despite what I was told when I first became a mom, it doesn’t get any easier once your children are enrolled in school. You may have noticed that most school days end at 3, while if you have a corporate job you are lucky if your day ends at 5.
The availability and cost of aftercare for school age children is yet another hurdle. Then, let’s tack on school closings, holidays and noon dismissals. What about after school activities that require transportation? What about your school or town rec program that is in dire need of parent volunteers in order to continue to provide affordable recreation? And as many of you know, summer camp is a HUGE pain point for working families, as we discussed in Episode 1 of this podcast. Paige and I spoke about all these barriers that working parents scramble to overcome.
We also spoke about the motherhood penalty, and the fact that so many companies don’t even have adequate coverage for an employee who takes the leave they are entitled to. Many working moms I know worked during leave (I know I did!). In so many ways we are telling parents that work matters above all, and it’s on you to figure out how to raise a family around your work schedule.
Don’t even get me started on the talent our workforce is lacking because we aren’t willing to prioritize families. The data that has come out about women leaving the workforce during the she-cession of covid is damning enough. Following that, the Surgeon General recently issued an advisory on the need to support parents and caregivers to help improve their mental well-being.
So…what can we do about this? Paige’s advice is: let’s talk about it. Parents should be shouting their grievances from the rooftops - which is one of the reasons I started this podcast. We are all struggling, and despite diverse political viewpoints I KNOW most parents would agree that it feels like the cards are stacked against us. The first step in finding solutions is to talk about our problems and form community.
There are several advocacy groups, such as Moms First, Mother Forward and Chamber of Mothers that are bringing these issues to light, but this should NOT be yet another task for the moms to tackle. Dads need to be in on this too- thank you to the Congressional Dads Caucus for your presence, but we need more of you to get involved. I called this podcast Politics for Parents because I believe firmly in gender equity when it comes to advocacy for our children.
Lastly, while this isn’t a policy solution, I will highlight that in a capitalist society like ours, consumers matter. Think about where you shop. I try to be aware of what type of company I purchase goods and services from, and I seek to patronize companies that I know treat their employees well and have ethical supply chains.
The conversation with Paige was so great, that once you listen I hope you’ll be inspired to keep it going. This morning I started the first chat thread for you all to air your grievances and to start talking about what we need to do to prioritize our families. Please join in!
This episode is also available on YouTube, Spotify, and most other major platforms for your listening pleasure! As always, please feel free to reach out if you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes. Thanks for listing!
Why Do We Value Work Over Parenting (and How Do We Change This)?