Mothers – and even fathers – are leaving STEM careers after having children. Why is this important? We need them in the science workforce and they need the income potential to raise their families. So why is this happening? Parents can’t afford child care, and the STEM professional community frowns on employees who miss work and deadlines due to family issues. Yes, this bias continues today.
According to the National Science Foundation, 43% of women and 23% of men leave STEM jobs within 7 years of having or adopting a child. What’s even more surprising is that they don’t return to their careers after their children reach school age.
This devaluation of motherhood and caregiving stems from gender discrimination that was prevalent in the 1950s. A woman’s role was at home with the children and a father’s role was to bring home the bacon. But even today, STEM employers expect team players to work long hours and not be distracted by parenting responsibilities such as driving kids to and fro, attending sporting events, and caregiving. This twisted philosophy still infiltrates the STEM careers with unhealthy biases and prejudices.
But what if STEM parents could design the ideal preschool or after-school program for their children right in their homes? And what if they invited 3-4 other children to join the program and hired a wonderful teacher to teach the classes and help with homework? The other children’s parents would pay tuition, which would cover the costs of the teacher and materials. Then STEM parents could enjoy their careers and have more flexibility with child care – without having to pay a penny.
I actually created a preschool program for my 2 daughters while I worked fulltime. My girls loved the program, made friends, and learned to read at age 3. The teacher even prepared dinners, cleaned the house, and did our laundry. That way, when I wasn’t working, I had time to thoroughly enjoy my family. I had my cake and ate it too! I wrote The Millennial’s Guide to Free Child Care in Your Home to help parents create a solution for the high cost of child care and to improve family time together.
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