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.

In essence, the whole WAHM concept has given women more options in making ends meet without being separated from their spouses (if any) and children. Large and small corporations recognize this case as a chance to gain profit; therefore several scams do exist alongside legitimate job offers. Unless the mothers' former/current outside employer offers remote opportunities, it takes constant research to put one's foot in the door for online work that provides steady income. WAHMs all over the United States acknowledge this fact and form virtual support groups and organizations, such as WAHM.com and ChristianWAHM. By persistently checking for new and exciting job leads via these types of sites, interested mothers rev up their prospects of pursuing their dream careers that generate consistent paychecks and spending memorable moments with their kids.

List of Sources

Author Unknown, Christian Work At Home Mom - Providing Encouragement for the Proverbs 31 Woman and the WAHM. ChristianWAHM.
Cheryl Demas, The Online Magazine for Work At Home Moms. WAHM.
Lacey Reneau, Women's History Then & Now - Motherhood. University of Texas.
LaDonna D. Vick, Making the Transition From Working Outside to Inside the Home. FamilyCorner.