To hate pics of "working" mum with baby?

[LighthouseSouth]

why are there so many articles about working mums illustrated by a woman with a baby on her lap and a computer in front of her?

working is working, not playing with your DC. And now it's popped up on the side bar for MN. Poor.

[WallisFrizz]

I don’t know the picture you mean but I presume from the description it’s not meant to be taken too literally. More, it’s the suggestion of a woman who is balancing work with childcare and all the juggling that involves. I believe it is an issue that affects women more than men and therefore I couldn’t get too bothered by it.

[ZenNudist]

Stock imagery innit. Its like every hot spell since time immemorial is illustrated by young women sunbathing in the park / beach. Also exam results. Papers always show white attractive girls opening their results. Though i admit theyve been forced to be a bit more representative of the actual population in more recent years.

[LighthouseSouth]

it seems to be a stock image type which I see quite often

like "women laughing alone with salad". Except I can't find any humour in this one!

[Camomila]

Depends on the job doesn't it? Not everything is 'per hour', some just want you to do the work and don't care how/when you do it.

Not quite the same but I submitted an essay while breastfeeding the other week and felt very pleased with my multitasking!

[ZenNudist]

Wallis its definitely a thing. Google working mother and loom at the images.

[AssassinatedBeauty]

I wonder what "working father" would result in? And of course, "working father" isn't even a phrase that people use.

[ZenNudist]

Working father is exactly the same.

Mind you, men laughing alone with fruit / salad is bloody wierd. You dont realise hows used to seeing the female images until you look at men doing the same thing.

[WallisFrizz]

But so what? Not even the thickest of people think that a working mother is one that sits a computer with a baby on her lap. The image just demonstrates a point.

You probably wouldn’t see pics like that of men because less men are the primary carer.

I am a working mother. My life does not in any what resemble that pic. It still doesn’t bother me. As I do actually feel my life is a struggle of balancing work with parenting.

[daisypond]

I know the sort of picture you mean. I agree, I find it annoying. The woman looks perfect and immaculate with cute baby on her knee while she's "working" on the laptop. I don't think it does much for the image of working mothers - it implies they're neither fully working, nor fully being mums.

[cadburyegg]

I think it’s unrealistic. I could never get work done whilst at home with a baby because I like to give both full attention and I can’t do that.

[LighthouseSouth]

@WallisFrizz "Not even the thickest of people think that a working mother is one that sits a computer with a baby on her lap."

we have had a man fired at my work when it was found that his working at home days involved childcare - he wasn't even trying to hide it, his baby was crying while he was on a video call. Working at home has only ever been granted on the condition that you can do your client calls professionally.

maybe that's why I felt the need to comment today - I've seen the image 100s of times of course. I feel as if it contributes to working at home getting a bad rep, but maybe I am being unreasonable.

[Spudlet]

I've been known to try working with DS on my lap for a laugh - so has DH (although his love of bashing the keyboard caused these experiements to be swiftly curtailed. Kiddo's coding needs work ). We both work at home so it was an option for us. I've definitely deployed Postman Pat in emergencies so I could crack on after nap time. So it's not an entirely unfair representation of working parenthood ala Spuds.

[WallisFrizz]

Funnily enough, my DH will be sneakily trying to juggle wfh with looking after DS during a couple of times during school holidays. Maybe the picture should be a bloke!

[Spudlet]

I should add that I am self-employed and work around DS, so DH is not undertaking childcare during working hours. DH has been working from home for 20-odd years and is employed by a small firm - his boss is also a good friend and knows our DS well, as we do his. So there's nothing untoward about our set up!

[mindutopia]

Well, I have to say that image pretty much sums up mat leave for me. I’m an academic with publishing deadlines and since my ds was about 6 weeks, I sit every day just about with a boob in his mouth, typing with the other hand because I have deadlines to meet, mat leave or not. But my dh is no different. He’s self employed and just sat and responded to emails with baby on his lap. We trade at events on the weekends and he does it with baby in one hand while I deal with our older one. But totally get that isn’t the norm for everyone and yes they stereotype is annoying.

[AynRandTheObjectivist]

I've worked with the baby sitting on my lap.

[halfwitpicker]

True, I've never heard the term working father. Madness, truly is.

[agabimou]

If you google working father the same kinds of images come up

[halfwitpicker]

'working father'

[Andcake]

Amazing how no one refers to working dads...

[ApocalypseNowt]

I know what you mean OP. In the same way anything about 'involved' or 'hands on' dads is a beady type laughing with a front baby carrier.

I used to think my DH was a hands on dad but he hasn't grown a beard in the 6 years we've had DC so clearly he doesn't actually give a shit

[ScreamingValenta]

This is my favourite 'parent working from home' image:

[WellAndTrulyCurbed]

we have had a man fired at my work when it was found that his working at home days involved childcare

Mine was granted BECAUSE childcare
I''m pretty sure my work wouldn't care if I sat the baby on my head as long as I completed my work. They trust me to do so and I make sure I do. Even if I have to finish off after they go to bed.

So, nah. Wouldn't give that pic a second thought because I've probably done it. lol

[Spudlet]

We so nearly recreated that a few months ago. But with DHs boss on the phone, and me starkers, having just got out of the shower! I only just managed to intercept the little bugger - hadn't realised until that moment that he'd worked out how to do door handles🙈

I adore that video though - it makes me laugh every time

[likelyLilac]

you mean this one?