A hundred years ago this week, President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May a national holiday. Since then, Mother’s Day has been commercialized into oblivion, but the original notion of the holiday was fairly revolutionary for its time, part of a broader movement toward women’s rights and equality.
We’re still struggling to get there. While almost 70 percent of American moms work, and are the primary breadwinners in nearly a quarter of households with children under 18, they’re still not earning as much as their childless counterparts. The problem of the working mom has been vigorously debated in recent years by the media — over women “having it all,” “leaning in” or opting to stay at home — but what we don’t often hear are the solutions, the ways in which we can make it easier for mothers to succeed either at home or work. Success for mothers can’t be underestimated: If we can improve their situation, we’ll improve outcomes for the entire family unit — and the country as a whole.
So, as part of NationSwell’s Ask the Experts series, we asked our panel how we can realistically advance support of new mothers in today’s society, whether by national policy, shifts in societal perceptions or nongovernmental programs. Read on for their thoughts, and then join the conversation by leaving your own ideas in the comments box below.
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