But at the same time they miss work. They can be torn, and those feelings of wanting to be at two places at once can be stressful. Big companies have done more to make life easier for working moms by providing family friendly benefits and programs. Small businesses are having a tough time, not because they do not like working moms, but because they often cannot afford to have someone stay away from work for a few months and have no one to take their place. We need to find a way to help small businesses provide more of a friendly atmosphere for working mothers.
Women still expect more of themselves when it comes to being a parent.
They expect that they should be the major person caring for the children and feel guilt or stress if they are not. Men increasingly want to play to a role in their children s lives, but they see themselves as optional, as doing a favor, or as better than those other fathers if they do it. So, we still expect that mothers should be there for their kids and that puts a lot of guilt and pressure on the moms. However, men are doing more than they used to. They really are picking up some of the responsibilities, but it still generally is the case that the lion s share of work around the house is being done by women.