8th May Working Mothers Day

Someday by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds
A deceptively simple, powerful ode to the potential of love and the potential in life, Someday is the story of what every mother wishes for her child: a chance to live life at its fullest—to experience great joys, to stretch, to grow, to understand sorrow, to have a future…to have a someday. 

May 8th is Working Mothers Day, which occurs the Friday before Mothers' Day each year. 70% of mums with kids younger than 18 are working moms, and 75% of them are working full-time. It goes without saying that working mums carry a lot of responsibilities, and they often feel guilty about not spending enough time with their kids. Yet, many studies have proved that working mothers influence as much their children's development as mothers who work at home!

While I agree with this, it is interesting to listen to children of working mothers complain. Interestingly mine used to complain too, but now they are adults and working themselves they can see why I worked and they are quite complimentary when I talk about my working life. I always take 'mum's' side when the students at school blame their mothers for something. I couch it in terms of how important it is to be responsible for themselves and independent.

As we put together a display of books in the library for mothers day and set up an activity and reading nook for the mothers day breakfast next week, I made sure we included books about mums who work. Some are obvious just from the title, but there are others where it just is or you discover it as you read.

 

SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

 

Goal 8  Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.

Global unemployment has steadily decreased over the past two decades, from about 6.4% to 5.6%, but that does not guarantee that all jobs pay well, have safe work environments, or provide decent benefits for employees.

Here's the list of books to choose from.

The concept of 'work' is an interesting one for the students I teach, so I might start with a discussion of work and a picture book such as My Mum Goes to Work by Libby Gleeson.

When I ask the students what their mum or dad does for work, unless it is something with a label like 'lawyer', 'teacher' or 'architect' they usually do not know what they do. If you ask them where they work, at the moment they are likely to say 'at home', so really children under eight years old really do not know what 'work' is, let alone whether the work environment is safe or pays well. So probably here there needs to be some 'shock' factor to make them to think about work and what is fair. 

When I read My Rows and Piles of Coins by M. Tololwa Mollel  they are amazed that a child their age goes to work with his mother, that he doesn't have a bike and has to save up to get one, so reading the biography of Iqbal:A Brave Boy from Pakistan by Jeanette Winter might provide some shock factor.  Iqbal Masih spoke up against child labour in the carpet industry as recently as 1995. If you do read this story, please read the text before you read the 'foreword' or note from the author. You can read it depending upon the students' reaction to the book, knowing now that Iqbal was shot.  There is also a short novel about Iqbal written by Francesco D'Adamo.

Another book that deals with child labour is I Like, I Don't Like by Anna Baccelliere. It has minimal text and appears simple, but with an enabling adult this book allows for much discussion of perspectives of work, leisure, play, childhood.

Here's the blurb:

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child in the world has the right to play. Unfortunately, that universal right is not always respected. I Like, I Don't Like presents this reality to readers by showing how children in varying circumstances can see the same object very differently. 

Children from more affluent circumstances are shown on one side of the double-page spreads, claiming they “like” objects that are fun and/or luxurious, while on the other side, the children who have to make and/or labour over those objects say they don’t like them. Some examples include a child playing with lego bricks on one side, and a kid having to cart piles of bricks on his head on the other. There are happy children eating rice juxtaposed with children having to plant and pick the rice. 

If you want a good book to show how work has changed and will continue to change given discussion of SDG 7 and renewable energy, read Town is By the Sea by Joanne Scwartz and Sydney Smith.

Here's the blurb:

A young boy wakes up to the sound of the sea, visits his grandfather's grave after lunch and comes home to a simple family dinner, but all the while his mind strays to his father digging for coal deep down under the sea. The illustrations show the striking contrast between a sparkling seaside day and the darkness underground where the miners dig. This beautifully understated and haunting story brings a piece of history to life. The ever-present ocean and inevitable pattern of life in a maritime mining town will enthral children.

In the booklet:

• What do your mum and dad do for work? Do you think they are safe at work? What would make a worker feel unsafe at work? Do you think children should work? What makes you think that?

 

• We read

• This story made me think work is