We all know motherhood is
highly underpaid, and the job can be thankless. However, you can turn some of that trench time into a resume-builder for a more lucrative career.
This article points out that motherhood gives you some marketable skills for use in the workplace. Problem-solving, negotiation skills, patience, compassion are all on the list. My favorite one, however, is time-management: someone once told me that moms and dads are the most efficient workers, because we're used to having to complete a day-long project in less than fifteen minutes, before the kid wakes up from the nap or finally figures out how to un-childproof the electrical outlets.
I could add a few more skills to this list as well. Many moms I know are adept at prioritizing, assessing a situation in thirty seconds to decide which child's current activity is actually the most life-threatening and following through with lightening reflexes. Ability to focus despite a chaotic environment should probably be on there as well: could a non-parent type four e-mails over the din of an annoying kids show, loud wailing, and the toy jackhammer left on in a corner? Remaining calm is just as helpful for the day when the evil boss demands those reports a week early as it is for when your child reveals he has put "something big" up his nose. And every great parent I know has a very well-developed sense of humor, which should also be a hiring requirement at any good job.
I hope for Mother's Day all the moms out there get at least a couple hours to themselves, because everyone needs a little vacation sometimes, especially when your boss is demanding and mercurial, and the hours are as long as they come. And just a tip: while we are happy to work for kisses and sweet watercolor paintings that say "I love you mommy," don't list that as your last salary in your job hunt.
