Oklahoma has been ranked as a good place for working moms by Smart Moneyhttp://www.smartmoney.com/! "Why?" you ask? Child care.
Juggling a career and family is always hard and having pre-kindergarten available helps! So does having a reliable child care rating system so you can select a GOOD day care to plop yu kid at while you are at work.
You can read about the 10 states inlcuding "Pros and Cons" of each by clicking here.
The article DOES note the low number of women in Oklahoma seeking employment -- as if we all have perfect jobs already. I wonder if that number is low because many Oklahoma women are discouraged from seeking work outside the home (the old "keep 'em at home - barefoot and pregnant" strategy). What do you think?
Looking on the upside maybe mom's can stay home in Oklahoma because the cost of living isn't astronomical. When I lived in Chicagoland my taxes were triple what they were in Norman Housing cost was at least double in Chicago area and yet my pay wasn't any higher in Illinois. So what I hope is that mom's in Oklahoma that want to stay home can. I was a working mom because I loved my kids but I also loved my creative career.
ReplyDeleteI found going back to work very discouraging. I stayed at home with my son for his first year, and then secured a full time job with a set 9-5 schedule paying me over minimum wage. I thought I was set! Unfortunately, my salary barely covered the cost of childcare, and so what was the point? I would have been bringing home about $100 or so a month, and giving the rest to someone else in order to care for my child. If it hadn't been for my retired mother stepping in to care for my son for much less, I would still be at home. Like you, I wonder if pressures to keep women at home are why the numbers are so low.
ReplyDeleteJust read this post but wanted to comment. Maybe the problem is that wages are too low in Oklahoma to justify the cost of day care. Or perhaps our midwestern values encourage more women to raise their own children. If so, this could be considered a positive rather than a "keep 'em home and barefoot" strategy. Finding ways for women who want to stay home and raise their young children to do so should be a priority.
ReplyDeleteOne of the public policy issue areas that the Oklahoma Women's Coalition is studying is called "Work-Family Balance."
ReplyDeleteIt is a blessing when mothers are able to stay home with their children and perhaps our low cost of living increases that possibility.
Good points - thanks!!