The Work It, Mom! Blog
with Nataly
Hi, I am Nataly and I am the co-founder of Work It, Mom!
I write the daily Work It, Mom! Blog where I talk about issues affecting working moms, goings on in our Work It, Mom! community, new site features, updates,and contests. I also share my own juggle between work and family and love to see members jump in with comments. Come and visit often!
Nataly's profile on Work It, Mom!
Breadwinner moms, listen up!
Categories: Career Talk, Money, Relationships & Marriage, Working Women Issues
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while (and if you haven’t, what’s wrong with you!?) you know that I have always been the main breadwinner in our household. This changed dramatically when I left my nicely paid investment job to launch this here, Work It, Mom!, but until that point I had always made a multiple of my husband’s salary. As I’ve written before, while I am proud to have been able to support our family I’ve often felt resentment at having so much pressure and my husband and I have had more than one “heated discussion” (why does this sound better than a fight?) about our situation.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 24% of wives in dual-earner families earn more than their husbands and the number is growing. There are 10 million single moms in the US with kids under 18 — and they are all the main breadwinners for their family. I’ve met breadwinner moms who are thrilled to be in that position and many who feel exhausted by the pressure or the fact that they still end up doing most of the childcare and housework.
With the growing numbers of breadwinner moms I am often surprised by the scant discussion in the media. I want to know more about how they feel about their breadwinner role, how it impacts their family and their relationship with their spouse or partner, if they are in a relationship, how some couples decide that if the mom can support the family the dad should stay home. To dig a bit deeper into these questions we’ve just launched our Breadwinner Mom Survey here on Work It, Mom!.
I really hope that our breadwinner members will take a minute to complete it. It’s short — 10 questions — and we’re giving away a FREE Sony Reader and some great other goodies to one winner (a prize valued at $500!)
Tell us about your situation and why you’re the main breadwinner. Share how you feel about it and how it affects your family. Invite your breadwinner moms friends to complete it We will share the results of the survey here on Work It, Mom! and announce the winner of the Sony Reader Prize Pack during the week of July 8th.
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I am the main breadwinner, although both incomes are important. Mine is higher, and I carry the benefits. My husband has no problem with that; his father, however, still acts confused that we don’t fit the 1950s sitcom stereotype.
Daisy | June 20th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
I’m the main breadwinner. It’s a stressful job, though I get great satisfaction from it. It get’s difficult when I look around, and see needs (home improvement, college funds for the kids, lessons, etc.) and I can’t find a way to fund those things; my husband’s income is static and significantly lower. (So, I started blogging…who knows what it may become!) It’s a definite frustration, though.
mamapolitico | June 21st, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I think a big part of the crumbling of my relationship was that I was the primary breadwinner and not very happy about it. And not always nice.
Such an interesting topic.
Kristin | June 21st, 2008 at 7:36 pm
[...] Nataly Kogan, founder of WorkIt Mom, just told me about a survey they are doing for working mothers who are the main breadwinners in their family (i.e., they have higher salaries than their husbands and foot the majority of the bills). If you are a breadwinning mom or know someone who plays one on TV or real life, go check out the survey HERE for a chance to win a Sony Reader prize pack. What a cool prize! Check out Nataly’s post called Breadwinner moms, listen up! [...]
Calling All Breadwinning Moms! | entrepreMusings | June 22nd, 2008 at 9:11 pm
[...] Are you a breadwinner? Were a breadwinner? Nataly, the fabulous co-founder of Work it, Mom!, has blogged about being the breadwinner and now has a new survey up. Complete the survey and you’ll have a chance at a Sony Reader. [...]
Can women voters be swayed by a woman Veep? - Moms On Issues - Work It, Mom! | June 23rd, 2008 at 8:02 am
[...] I’ll let you all catch up with my post last week on Work It, Mom! or better yet, enter Nataly’s Breadwinner Mom survey for a chance to win a Sony [...]
Well, this is the last time I’m eating out » Self-Made Mom | June 23rd, 2008 at 3:22 pm
I’m the main breadwinner and we’ve both struggled with that fact, but it unless my husband sells a screenplay for a big chunk of change (not likely), it’s going to stay that way.
Fortunately he’s picked up a lot of slack at home and with the kids.
Marketing Mommy | June 23rd, 2008 at 5:07 pm