Podcast Episode 161: The Power of Caring: Why Companies Should Value Caregivers More with Blessing Adesiyan
When it comes to caregivers and care work, too often their contributions are overlooked in the working world. Women’s roles in their family are seen as a liability and employers don’t understand how to effectively support the 71% of parents that classify themselves as “working parents”. We need to rethink and reimagine the way we view caregivers and care work, not just for our own sake (and sanity), but also for the sake of our kids.
The working world doesn’t support working parents.
The working world often struggles to understand the realities of caregivers, especially those who are working parents. Employers may not recognize how difficult and all-consuming parenting can be and don’t take into account the resources needed to support caregivers. Furthermore, caregivers (most often moms) often face a lack of financial flexibility due to their caregiving responsibilities, leading them to either work at a diminished ability or leave their position altogether.
Women are the gatekeepers.
Women are often seen as the primary caregivers, which means they are the ones responsible for protecting their own time and that of other family members, including their partner’s. This has led to women being placed in a double burden whereby they have to balance work responsibilities with caregiving duties. Women also face discrimination when it comes to returning to work after having children, even as a liability in some cases.
Make some real change in the way society values care work.
We need to keep having this conversation with others, every day. We need to recognize that caregivers need support in their work environment as well as recognize that the caregiver’s time is just as valuable as the non-caregivers time. Women need to start standing up for and valuing their own time instead of protecting the time of others. And of course, we need to start demanding that workplaces are held accountable for being equal. The gender gap in pay still exists. While we are moving forward to close that gap, it’s projected that it will take another 135 years for women to have equal pay across all fields, if we keep moving at our current pace. So keep talking about it, bringing attention to the issue, and providing ideas for solutions. That is the best way we can make real change.
It’s time for companies to start supporting caregivers and valuing care work in general, and we as women…mothers…caregivers…workers…. also need to recognize that our time is also important and that it needs protecting. So start the conversation by sharing this podcast episode with your friends, family, and co-workers. Get the conversation going and start making some real change in the world!
Resources We Shared In This Episode:
Mother Honestly– Mother Honestly is an ecosystem that propels women forward in motherhood, work and life. The resources we curate, conversations we foster, and community we cultivate allow women to thrive in and beyond motherhood.
Calm & Happy Parenting Time to get your kids to listen and help out more without the fighting! This is your complete solution to shift the responsibility of “doing everything for everyone” to your family and to give you the kind of relationship you want with your kids and the entire family!
No Guilt Mom Mindset – A free printable with our six No Guilt Mom Mindsets to help you second guess less, and feel more confidence every day in your parenting.
No Guilt Mom YouTube Channel Check us out and subscribe to be notified every time we have new videos added for parents and kids!
Download the episode transcripts HERE.
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