It’s a question that often comes up in conversations among professional women: is staying at home and taking care of your children work, or is work only defined as something that you get paid to do? The answer isn’t always straightforward, but let’s take a closer look at the concept of work and how it is (and could be) defined.
Defining Work by Society's Standards
By society’s standards, the definition of “work” tends to focus on what people are paid to do. If someone gets a paycheck for their efforts, then they are typically deemed to be engaged in “work.” This definition can be problematic, however, because it ignores those who are doing unpaid labor such as stay-at-home parents or caregivers.
On the other hand, there are some valid arguments for why society has chosen to define work in this way. For example, many countries use taxes on wages as a primary source of revenue, so defining work as something that is done for pay allows governments to collect taxes more easily. Additionally, if all forms of unpaid labor were considered “work,” it would be difficult to calculate unemployment rates accurately.
Defining Work by Your Own Standards
The good news is that you don’t have to accept society's definition of work—you can define it for yourself! If you consider staying at home and raising your children an important form of work (as many working mothers do), then go ahead and give yourself credit for it! You don't need anyone else's approval or validation—you know what you're doing and you should be proud of yourself for it.
At the end of the day, how you define work is entirely up to you. Whether you choose to view stay-at-home parenting as a form of work or not doesn't really matter—what matters is that you recognize the value and importance of whatever it is that you're doing with your time and energy. Don't let anyone else tell you how your time should be spent; take ownership over your life and make sure that whatever decisions you make are right for YOU!
If you've thought about leaving your career to stay at home with your kids, you're not alone.
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