Focus: Employed mothers

In her new book, The Feminine Mistake, Leslie Bennetts cites US Census Bureau data showing that work-force participation by mothers actually declined between 1997 and 2004.

Should women quit their careers to become good mothers or is it that working mothers actually help their children broaden their perspective? Do working mothers prove to be better than stay-at-home mothers? We initiated the debate this week on employed mothers and here's what our readers had to say. If you would like to participate in our debates, let us know at readers@gulfnews.com

Ideally, women should quit work when their children are born till they become pre-schoolers.

Yes, women should quit. I never fully entrusted my children to housemaids/babysitters because of stories from friends that babysitters never tell the truth if something happens to the children while you are away. It is better that mothers are with children attending to their needs emotionally and spiritually.
– Susan Baldoza
Philippines
Gulf News Reader's Club member

I think women should quit their job if they want to bring up their child in a caring manner. No maid or childcare centre is better than a mother. In the early stages of parenthood, if you want to form a bond with your child then take a break for some time. It is essential for an emotional bond to be formed.
– Majid Ali Khalid
Pakistan
Gulf News Reader's Club member

One good mother is worth a 100 schoolmasters. Motherhood is a full-time job, for she moulds the child's character and shapes his/her destiny. If a husband can be the sole breadwinner, then the wife must give this valuable "time". A mother can instill virtues in the child at home till the child becomes a pre-schooler.
– Barbara Ali
India
Gulf News Reader's Club member

Children of mothers who return to work before they start school have slower emotional development. Children in their early ages need a lot of attention and mentoring to direct them. A mother who stays home with her children is able to share more than just time. A mother who works must rely on other people to interact with her child.
– Salim Khan
India
Gulf News Reader's Club member

A working mother offers her child a broader perspective on life and issues.

There is no doubt that the future of a child depends upon the care given by the mother. Time is not a problem for working mothers, as they are conscious of how they spend it. People think that good mothers are those who give up their work to stay at home. But a working mother with her positive outlook can offer her child a broader perspective on life.
– K.N. Vasudevan
India
Gulf News Reader's Club member

I don't think a working mother can offer a better perspective on life to her children. Bringing up a child is a full-time job. A working mother would be spending more time at work and with her colleagues and will probably appoint someone to take care of her child. That might affect the child psychologically..
– Milind Tikhe
India
Gulf News Reader's Club member

Indeed, I agree that a working mother offers her child a broader perspective on life. A working mother becomes a role model for the child. This helps the child develop self-esteem. Also, with a working mother, the child tends to be independent, which broadens further horizons in life.
– Roshni Ahuja
Dubai

A working mother would definitely be able to guide her children better and offer a broader perspective. She will firstly be more aware of issues that are of importance and secondly because she herself would want that her children know of what's happening around them and act wisely.
– Murtaza Shamsi
India
Gulf News Reader's Club member

Career women are delaying motherhood because they will be forced to change priorities.

It is a personal decision that depends on each person's opinions and priorities. I chose not to and had my baby as soon as I was married and opted out of the rat race only because I had the option; financially, emotionally and socially. Not all are delaying motherhood. Priorities of individuals change with time and I see nothing wrong with it.
– Rekha Ram
India
Gulf News Reader's Club member

I agree with women who are delaying motherhood to keep up with the fast-paced lifestyle of nowadays. Motherhood is now secondary to lifestyle or rather couples collectively delay motherhood. A part of the reason is also mother having to work as well as the father in order to make ends meet.
– Rajiv H. Ramnani
India
Gulf News Reader's Club member

This statement is not true because it can be decided well in advance if the woman wants to pursue motherhood or career. Many a times, it is either financial commitments or the thought of children being an obstacle in career and freedom. The conclusion is to balance career as well as parenthood by mutual understanding between the couple.
– Manish Kumar Gupta
India
Gulf News Reader's Club member

I agree on the fact that more and more mothers are delaying motherhood. I do not think they are being "forced" to change priorities by someone else. It's really a question of managing the balance between work and life. Having taken the decision to take up a career, it's perhaps better to delay motherhood until such time as one is comfortable of maintaining the balance.
– Ambuja Hegde
India
Gulf News Reader's Club member

Most women would be stay-at-home mothers if their finances allowed it.

In this competitive day and age, I believe that a woman should work and have a decent lifestyle. Also women are studying in all fields such as commerce, medicine, engineering and many more professional courses.
– K.Ragavan
India
Gulf News Reader's Club member

I believe mothers who are career-oriented and have reached higher levels in their careers would prefer working even if their finances allowed them otherwise, aiming and hoping to brighten their children's future. Otherwise, most mothers prefer devoting their entire time to their children if they are financially secure. Mothers make the best possible decision considering the circumstances, keeping their children in mind.
– Saima Dhani
Pakistan
Gulf News Reader's Club member

Financial position alone does not dictate whether a woman should be a stay–at–home mother or continue to work. Family traditions, social ethos, lack of childcare alternatives force many women to shelve their careers if they are financially well off. Some women value their career and self-earned financial security as an integral part of fulfilling their life and thus prefer to strike a fine balance.
– Subhasis Mukherjee
India
Gulf News Reader's Club member

Each woman has the right to realise her ambitions with the support of her family. It doesn't matter if that is to reach a senior corporate level or caregiver to the family unit. If a woman has aspirations; if her current financial situation dictates life will be hard; and if her family unit is not cohesive in agreement, then she should not be bringing a new child into the world.
— Barbara Cummings
Dubai
Gulf News Reader's Club member