The Societal Position of Today's Mother - Essay Example

The mothers are supposed to bear babies but requests for maternal leaves are sometimes viewed with resentment. Modern women and particularly mothers are overstrained with idealistic expectations of motherly perfection. The unrealistic expectations are inflicted by society or imposed on themselves.

The standards set for the woman to meet are unrealistic and detrimental to the mother’s personal and professional existence. A professional mother is expected to fulfill obligations such as breastfeeding without taking advantage of the artificial options available. A mother who chooses to wean their children in less than two years feels guilty and inadequate since society views such attempts with condescension. The pressure to meet the societal expectations of motherhood and retain their own identity as professionals harry modern mothers. Mothers are supposed to make sacrifices in their careers, be homemakers, and become dependent on their husbands for financial needs to meet societal expectations and standards.

Mothers who choose to employ house help are branded as incompetent mothers. Any misbehavior by the children is blamed on the mother. After giving birth, the mother is supposed to ensure she retains her youthful look, or else the husband is free to be unfaithful if they are discontented with their wife. Unlike in the1950s when women did not have to work modern women have to manage both their career life and find time to be with their children as well as husbands. Lack of government policies such as paid family leaves makes it impossible for most mothers to breastfeed their children since most have to work to support their families or supplement their husband’s earnings.

However, they still receive great criticism if they choose other options such as taking their children to daycares to create time to meet other obligations. Women face great challenges principally those who chose to engage in politics as they are subjected to chauvinist jokes. A woman who chooses to dedicate her life to politics is labeled a bad mother irrespective of whether she has proved otherwise (Fay, 2012). Modern women have to balance work, love life, and family. Demand such as taking care of babies particularly breastfeeding binds women to be homemakers.

The women's schedules are rigid such that it is almost impossible for them to nurse their babies and work at the same time. Having a proper social life is almost impossible for some mothers. Women have to keep apologizing to their bosses for being mothers especially when their motherhood commitments such as childbearing cannot allow them to achieve their obligations at work (Badinter, 2012) Some people like Badinter blame the problem on the aspiration of women to be liberal mothers. She claims modern mothers can somehow be blamed for the strain they have to undergo as they try to prove to society that they are capable of being careerwomen and practicing traditional motherhood.