Working Mom Is Asked Why She Needs A Sitter Since She Works Her Full-Time Job From Home — ‘We Don’t Ask Men That Question’
People don't understand that a job is a job, no matter where it is located.
Jacob Lund / Shutterstock The expectations placed on women are often out of control. They are supposed to perfectly handle everything — relationships, motherhood, a job and more. The pressure can be overwhelming.
One mom recognized this in how she was treated for outsourcing child care while she worked full-time.
A mom was asked why she needed a sitter for her children during the day while working a full-time job from home.
TikTok creator @christinabobina19 posted a video in which she shared her grievances about being a mom who works from home.
“What is wrong with society?” Christina asked. “I literally just got asked why I send my daughter to the sitter, who is 7, by the way, when I have to work full-time from home.”
“When I say I work full-time from home, I work a salaried 40-hour-a-week position,” she explained. “And I just got questioned why I have to send my daughter to the babysitter while I’m trying to get that job done, just because I work from home.”
Christina noticed a startling double standard as a mom who works from home. She was expected to take care of her daughter while still working 40 hours a week and being present for her job. That’s simply not possible.
Another creator pointed out how different things are for men.
In a stitch, content creator and mom of four, Paige Turner, argued that this kind of thing would never be said to a man.
“Add this to the list of things that people do not ask men,” she said. “When men work from home, everyone assumes that they have child care because how could they possibly do their job while watching their children?”
Turner said that something completely different is expected of women. “Women are expected to not only have a full-time job where they sit at a computer and take calls all day long, but they are also expected to watch their children, yet employers wanna make it very clear that they do not accept that,” Turner stated.
Turner then addressed the difference between what society expects and what employers want.
“Society as a whole is saying, ‘Wait, why not? We expect women to be able to do everything. So why can’t they have a job and also watch their kids?’” she said. “And employers go, ‘No, no, no, no. That’s not productive. You can’t do that.’”
Turner explained that, despite the fact it is frowned upon by employers, many moms do take care of their children while working from home, or they at least attempt to.
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“And you’re doing all these things, and people look at women, and they say, ‘Why are you so angry? Why are you so stressed out? What’s the big deal?’” she added. “Well, the big deal is that when I use child care, you tell me I’m not raising my children. When I don’t have a job, you tell me I’m a gold digger. When I have a job, but I work from home, I’m expected to also watch my kids, but my employer will fire me if I do that.”
Evidence proves women are expected to take care of children, regardless of their work situation.
While the U.S. has made significant strides in letting go of traditional gender roles and letting women choose their own paths, things are still far from perfect.
Pew Research Center said, “Women most often are the ones who adjust their schedules and make compromises when the needs of children and other family members collide with work.”
They attributed this to two factors. First, women “still devote more time than men on average to housework and child care and fewer hours to paid work,” they stated. Second, society still harbors a traditional view of motherhood.
While women have made progress, society still expects them to be the sole caregivers for children. The same would never be expected of men, as Turner astutely pointed out.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.