Why Mothers’ Choices About Work and Family Often Feel Like No Choice at All

Reported today on The New York Times

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UpshotWhy Mothers' Choices About Work and Family Often Feel Like No Choice at AllWhen policymakers frame "choices" as personal preferences, it distracts from major structural constraints.If liberals and conservatives can agree on anything about family policies, it's this: Parents should have choices.Senator Elizabeth Warren said her plan for universal child care would give parents "the freedom to choose the best work and child care situation for themselves."Ivanka Trump, at a White House summit about family policies, said, "Our vision is to give each parent the resources and support they need to make the best choice for their children."Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican from Louisiana, and Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat from Arizona, said of their parental leave bill: "This straightforward, bipartisan path forward provides parents with real choices.""Choice" has become the favorite term in family policy. Yet many parents - particularly women - feel their decisions about work and family are made within such constraints that they have little choice at all. The United States government offers no paid family leave - in contrast with all other advanced nations - or public preschool. Child care is often unaffordable, inadequate or unavailable. Many Americans face work hours that are long and unpredictable, as well as rising health and housing costs. Women's earnings stall after having children, and mothers spend significantly more time taking care of children than fathers do."The language of choice is used to suggest that these women have choices, while the language that should be there is they have no choice but to," said Shani Orgad, a professor at the London School of Economics and author of "Heading Home: Motherhood, Work and the Failed Promise of Equality."Framing h

Choice