Metro Detroit Moms React To Study Finding Majority Of Working Mothers Can 'Have It All'
(WWJ) There's an interesting new Mother's Day survey by CareerBuilder.com that finds a majority of working moms feel as successful on the job as they do at home raising their kids.
Marilyn Stewart is among metro Detroit moms who say there's a lot the job and the home front have in common.
"With kids, you have to stop them from arguing and sometimes ... it's your coworkers," she said.
Seventy eight percent of working moms and 83 percent of working dads said it is possible to have it all, according to CareerBuilder's Annual Mother's Day Survey. The definition of success, however, differs by gender.
Participants in the study include more than 2,000 employers and 464 working mothers and 340 working fathers with children 18 years old and younger who are living at home with them.
While the vast majority of working moms feel they can have it all, only 52 percent said they were equally successful in their jobs and as parents.
Roughly 34 percent of working moms report they're more successful as a parent, compared to 32 percent of men. Working dads were more likely to say they are more successful in their careers than as parents – 19 percent compared to 15 percent of women.
When identifying factors that define success in their careers, working moms were more likely to point to how much money they earn – 53 percent compared to 45 percent of men.
Working moms were more likely to stress the importance of enjoying the work they do, 77 percent compared to 60 percent of working dads.
Working dads were more likely to say they define success by whether their family is proud of what they do -- 42 percent compared to 35 percent of working moms.
During the typical workweek, 57 percent of working moms spend four or more hours with their children every day, and 35 percent of working dads do the same. Only 6 percent of working moms say they spend an hour or less with their children each day, compared to 13 percent of working dads who do the same.
Despite spending more quality time with their children, working moms are nearly twice as likely as working dads to say their job has negatively affected their relationships with their children – 25 percent of working moms versus 13 percent of working dads.
Women are also more likely than men to say being a parent has caused their professional work to suffer – 17 percent of working moms versus 9 percent of working dads.
Despite the downside, Linda Hicks is a working mom who feels like she's as successful at home as she is at work.
"At home, you know how that goes when you've got teenagers and stuff, but my job makes up the difference, it's all about being a help to someone else," she said.
She added that a grateful and upbeat attitude is key for success both at home at work.
Jennifer Marson of metro Detroit just returned to work after maternity leave four weeks ago. "Probably the biggest thing I can do is to make sure that when I'm home with him, he has as much of my attention as possible and when I'm at work I can say the same thing," she said.