Empowered, out of the house, and into the workforce all describe the role of moms in today' families. The woman behind the man has now become the woman at his side or leading the way. Mothers are now learning to share their homemaking role with the man of the house. Children regard dad as much of a caregiver for them as their mom. Many women are struggling to come to terms with the rapid shift of the role of mothers from housework and child care to provider and head of household.
More single parent households exist today than ever before. The vast majority of these are led by a woman. She has had to become the breadwinner and handyperson of the house in addition to the traditional duties she has borne. Mom has had to become more independent and self-sufficient.
Even in homes with two parents, mothers are learning the new role of providing much of the income to keep the home running on a firm financial footing. Men often are no longer able to earn enough to cover all of the needs of the modern household. Working women do not just earn some mad money or a little extra for the groceries.
Mothers today are more educated and worldly savvy than moms of yesterday. She is expected to be willing to turn the care of her children over to others to enable her to pursue a meaningful career outside of the home. Dishpan hands have given way to modern conveniences to help her manage duties around the house in an efficient manner.
Even motherly love is now being administered in many homes by dad. Mom is no less caring than ever, but her time is severely diminished by her job duties. The maternity ward is still the domain of women, but after little ones come home, she may have to return to work in a short time to keep the lights on and food on the table.
Cooking a good meal has given way to selecting the right restaurant. Clothes are washed by a laundry service. Cloth diapers have followed the dinosaurs into extinction. Buying groceries now involves picking out the right prepackaged foods for lunches and quick snacks for the kids. The little old lady no longer only drives her car to church on Sunday. It is used to commute to work, run endless errands for herself and children, and take business trips.
Mothers have had to learn to take these changes in stride. She is still mom. She is just a different type of mom. Waiting on needs has given way to her family having to wait until other obligations can be met.
