Working Moms Raise Strong Daughters

It’s International Women’s Day, and many people around the world are (rightfully!) recognizing the tremendous power and potential of women. It’s no secret that mothers around the world do the impossible to make a difference in the lives of their sons and daughters. With the cost of living rising across the United States, this also means that more and more moms are balancing being employed with the great responsibility of raising children simultaneously. As stated by the US Department of Labor, 70 percent of mothers with children under 18 participate in the labor force.

According to a recent New York Times article, the… “evidence is mounting that having a working mother has some economic, educational and social benefits for children of both sexes.”

As a young mother, I never once doubted the fact that I wanted to be a working mom. Growing up, my mother worked endlessly to make sure we never lacked any basic needs and were taken care of. I remember seeing my mom leave for work early in the morning and understanding that she was doing it for her children and for our wellbeing. I looked up to her hustle and knew I would do the same for my daughter.

As a working mother, I know that my “work” is not done at 5:00 PM on a weekday. But instead, it continues way past the time I leave work. Both in my role as a teacher and a mother, the heart of my work is rearing children. Despite having the two hardest roles in the world, I wouldn’t change my reality for anything. Being able to witness the light in my daughter’s eyes when she learns a new word or reads more and more sentences gives me the same joy and happiness that my students do. It is truly a privilege to spend the majority of my day witnessing the magic of learning.

Moms around the world are working day and night to ensure that we are enriching the lives of our children with confidence. Strong women make the world go around and it’s time to start highlighting the power of mothers and women, well after the month March.

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Daniela Felix

Daniela Felix

Daniela is a first generation college student who is heavily involved in education in her home district, West Contra Costa Unified. After becoming a mother at a young age, Daniela’s passion for education justice only intensified and she began to fight for an equitable education for all children, regardless of background or zip code. Daniela played a key role in organizing parents with the California Charter Schools Association and is a firm believer in school choice for all families. She is currently a Lead Organizer with Students for Education Reform, organizing college students around education justice issues in her home district. She was recently accepted into Teach for America and plans to continue impacting the lives of children in her hometown of Richmond, CA as a high school social studies teacher. Daniela is a UC Berkeley senior pursuing her B.A. in Legal Studies and Education along with her 4 year old daughter and husband. Daniela is a firm believer in that every single child is capable of meeting high expectations if given the correct support. Daniela hopes to be a provider of that support.

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