National Family Caregivers Month - Think about the caregivers in your life

This month is National Family Caregivers Month, which got me thinking about the roles of traditional caregivers. I am a working mom of 1 year old twin boys. I am constantly trying to balance the desire to work as a small business attorney against the needs of my kids to have me there for all their daily events, big and small. Even as I sit here and write this post at 5:30 p.m. on a Wednesday evening, I am making a value judgment that this activity is worth not being at home with my kids.

My nanny, my husband, and my family make it possible for me to be away from my kids in order to earn a living and to have a professional identity, which I have realized is critical to my happiness. They serve as caregivers for my kids and provide them with safety and security, but more importantly, they provide a diversity of care. My mother in law, whom I adore, has a different approach to playtime than I do, and that is a good thing. It means my kids get to experience a wide variety of approaches to child care. However, as all parents know, consistency is also key, and so my husband knows very well that he has to give them a bath before bed every night, even if a new Xbox game came out today that he is dying to play.

Having caregivers for our kids is a reality for women. I am ridiculously lucky to have the support system in place to allow me to work. Especially when I consider that most women don’t have the choices that I have with regard to caregivers. Access to good child care is critical to a woman’s success, both personally and professionally. As we celebrate the caregivers for our children this month, I urge you to consider the importance of loving, thoughtful, experienced child care and remember that Women’s Fund is intimately involved in assisting organizations that provide access to responsible and cost effective caregivers that allow women to support themselves.