This working mother who is unashamedly ambitious recently came across shaming for it from the teachers of the school she was seeking admission from, for her 5 year old.
Since I have become a mother 5 years ago, not only do I have a bigger heart full of love, but am also exposed to a cringe-worthy world of people who love to hate working mothers.
Yes, I am a mother and I am also pursuing a regular job; nothing unusual as I see most people around me doing the same. While I agree I have been shamed for doing this ‘anti-Nirupa Roy’ thing in the past by certain relatives, this is the first time fellow working women have indulged in shaming me over a 30 minute long ‘interview’ to get my son admitted to a supposed ‘high-profile’ school in Ahmedabad.
I know it sounds unbelievable, given we have such big numbers of working mothers now than we had in the last generation. While we have been talking about increasing the number of women in workplace, promoting gender equality in sports, etc. there is a big bad world out there which is probably still living under the rock, or refuses to accept the times we are living in.
Sadly, this working-mother-shaming was done to me by none other than the teachers who will supposedly teach my son and other kids to be a responsible human being/citizen.
It got me thinking, who were they lying to? The girls they were teaching in their school, asking them to get good grades, pursue higher studies, and then sit at home when they grow up with their only purpose in life to attend their child’s orientation programmes? Mind you, they asked for the mark sheets of both the parents, so they could judge us on the basis of our education levels, and then beat us up we say that we are working in respectable jobs after getting those marks.
Oh, the irony! Unfortunately, since this was about my son’s admission to school, I couldn’t really be the motor-mouth I usually am. People who know me would vouch for this.
Ok, so there are three kinds of working mothers you will see at the workplace:
I am both of these, and I’m sure most of my friends would fall in this category. Sorry, but not sorry! No shame in being ambitious, and no one in this world who doesn’t appreciate money. We work to satisfy our professional desires and to earn money, this is a basic fact for a man and woman alike. Rearing a child again is the responsibility of a man and woman alike.
This is my initial brush with the school community and I delve into it on this not-so-sweet note while hoping it wanes away as the years pass. Welcome to school life, my child!
A version of this was first published here.
Image source: shutterstock
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