Working moms feel empowered
February 28, 2012
Are you looking for a reason to take the plunge and go back to college to pursue your dream of getting a degree and finding a job?
Getting a bachelor's degree can help moms of all ages increase their marketability in a competitive job environment as well as their earning potential.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in 2009, the average salary for adults aged 25 to 34 with a bachelor's degree was $15,000 more per year than it was for those with a high school diploma or other equivalent degree.
Getting a degree and entering the workforce can have additional benefits as well. A new study conducted by Care.com reveals that working moms are happy working outside of the home, despite the fact that balancing their professional life with their family responsibilities can be difficult.
The nationwide study of 1,000 working mothers found that nearly eight out of 10 working moms (78 percent) say that they enjoy being a working parent.
In addition, half (50 percent) of those surveyed feel that working enables them to be strong role models for their children.
Other notable findings include that four out of 10 working moms said that they feel that working makes them more creative as a parent and that being a parent has added perspective that enhances their contributions at work. Thirty-two percent said they feel that they are more motivated to work and take on new roles since becoming a parent, and three out of 10 (29 percent) said they feel that they are more productive now than they were before children.
"Most love being a great role model for their children and many feel more creative and motivated as a working-parent and even feel they add a better perspective at their jobs now that they are moms," said Katie Bugbee, managing editor of Care.com.
The survey also found that working moms said that creating a work-life balance is made easier when their husbands or partners help with their at-home responsibilities. More than three-quarters of working moms (77 percent) said they have a spouse or partner who participates in the raising of their children. Among those, nine out of 10 (89 percent) feel that their spouse/partner supports their career goals.
In addition, feelings of "mommy guilt" appear to be abating, as 64 percent don't feel that the demands of their job interfere with their ability to be a good parent.
Moms who want to go back to school to get a college degree should know that they don't have to be stressed out by the financial responsibilities of going to school. Various grants for parents, scholarships for mothers, single mother scholarships and other financial aid can make paying for an education realistic for most families.
