What’s the Most Stressful Job in the World?
By: Deborah Shaw Lewis
Adapted from: Motherhood Stress, World Publishing Co., 1989
J. Geffen
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1.
No one disputes that motherhood is wonderful. However, what continues to
surprise people is that stress – so often associated with office jobs – is a real factor in
the lives of mothers, too. In fact, the degree of stress and the symptoms it can cause
are substantial. Yet – and this is even more remarkable – mothers themselves have
been slow to recognize their symptoms as stress-related. And even mothers who work
outside the home, who expect to feel tension in their “real” jobs, are surprised to find
that their domestic duties are stress-producing as well. The reality is that the work of
being a mother generally produces pressures that are equal to the most challenging of
professions, in addition to providing unique ones of its own. Some of these pressures
are discussed below.
Unpredictability
2.
A certain amount of novelty can be positive in any job. It reduces boredom and
stimulates creativity and productivity. But novelty taken to the extreme of
unpredictability can create tremendous tension – and motherhood is virtually
synonymous with unpredictability. Just as each day of childrearing is unpredictable,
so too is each child. No mother can predict how a child will develop physically,
emotionally, socially, regardless of how an older child progresses.
Lack of Control
3.
Many studies show that the less control employees have over their daily work,
the more stress they experience. Full-time mothers who typically have very little
control over how they spend their time, are no exception. And while feelings such as
these – that is, having very little control – last throughout motherhood, they often
intensify when a new baby is added to the family. In the world of work, this is
analogous to getting yet another boss. And studies about job-stress have shown that
the more bosses a person has, the greater the potential for stress.
Power Overload
4.
Everyone recognizes that some kinds of stress come with jobs that require
making life-or-death decisions. And yet, every day, mothers labor under such stressful
conditions. The responsibilities that they assume in safeguarding the physical,
emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of their children is staggering. As Anna
Quinlan, a weekly columnist in The New York Times, states, “Mothers have the power
to make children feel good or bad about themselves, which is the greatest power in the
world.”
What’s the Most Stressful Job in the World? / 2
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Poor Job Training
5.
Insufficient preparation is another stress-producer in the work place. Most
employers today recognize this problem and provide their workers with job training
and orientation. Yet training is neither required nor available for the job of
motherhood. Most women usually acquire their knowledge of mothering through trial
and error, a situation which is guaranteed to lead to days of worrying about whether
they are doing the job “right”. In fact, it’s impossible for a mother to feel that she has
mastered the job because, as one young mother laments, “just when you think that you
know what you are doing with your infant, she becomes a toddler.”
Unrealistic Expectations and Unclear Priorities
6.
Given the consequences of the job of a mother, many women try to be “perfect”
mothers. And yet, in any other job, success is not only easier to attain, but is also more
easily measured. When you complete a business deal, deliver a speech, or type letters,
tangible evidence of your work exists to demonstrate your skill and effectiveness.
This is not so with motherhood.
7.
“Before my baby was born, I fantasized about my daily routine,” says a young
mother whose son is not yet two. “I imagined I would clean the house in the morning
before the baby woke up. Then we would go for a long walk and do many stimulating
and interesting things together. And we’d be the picture of calmness when Daddy got
home in the evening. I soon found out that taking care of a baby doesn’t work that
way. I found it very stressful because I’ve always been an organized person, and I
couldn’t understand why my life was suddenly so disorganized.”
8.
The fact is that planning and organization, basic skills which are required for
success in many jobs, cannot ensure success as a mother. It isn’t that planning and
organizing are of absolutely no value to mothers. The problem is that one can’t
schedule the needs of children and family in the same way that one can juggle
business appointments. Several tasks which require a mother’s attention may be of
equal importance, so that it is difficult to decide which takes precedence. Furthermore,
all such priorities can change depending on the circumstances. For example, one often
finds that the most menial task (e.g., doing laundry) absolutely must be done on a
given day, while a much more meaningful task (such as taking the children to the
library) can be put off indefinitely. Having to make such choices is stressful in itself.
Whichever decision a mother makes, she is still left feeling guilty or frustrated, or
both.
Inadequate Feedback
9.
Many studies have shown that the amount of evaluation a person receives on the
job, along with the tone (positive or negative) of that evaluation, and the timing of the
evaluation affect the amount of stress that the worker will experience. Usually,
mothers lose out in all three cases. There is no periodic evaluation of the work of a
mother, no supervisor to tell her she’s doing a good job, and it is very hard for her to
evaluate her own performance.
What’s the Most Stressful Job in the World? / 3
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10. Even more stressful may be to receive negative criticism from husband, parents,
in-laws, or even friends, who disapprove of her childrearing methods. And even
believing that she has done what is best for herself and her family does not always
ease the stress such pressure can produce. Over time, especially when those negative
remarks continue, a woman may begin to doubt herself. And when self-esteem
plummets, stress rises.
Low Status
11. Society tells us that mothers are valued. Yet, the low status granted to mothers
denies this. Even working women – who should know better – think a full-time
mother’s time is expendable. Neither are women who hold jobs immune to the
belittling of their mothering roles. For example, a divorced mother of two school-aged
children stated that while she was valued by her boss as a highly skilled and
professional employee, she was criticized by the same boss for calling home each
afternoon to make sure that her children had arrived home safely from school.
Obviously, her being a concerned parent was of no value to the company she worked
for.
12. And last, but not of lesser importance, is the small issue of salary. Because fulltime mothers do not bring home a paycheck for functions they perform, it is very easy
for them to feel that their work isn’t valued.
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Answers should be in your own words in English
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What are two surprising facts about motherhood?
Answer : _______________________________________________________
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Fill in the missing word:
The author compares motherhood to ________________ (paragraph 1).
The word “real” (line 6) refers to ________________.
Why is the word “real” written in inverted commas? (paragraph 1)
Answer : _______________________________________________________
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Novelty in a job can have advantages and disadvantages. What is the advantage
of novelty and what is the disadvantage? (paragraph 2)
Answer : _______________________________________________________
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Why does the writer think that “motherhood is virtually synonymous with
unpredictability? Use your own words.
According to research, what causes the stress that employees sometimes
experience at work? (paragraph 3)
Answer : _______________________________________________________
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In what way is the job of a full-time mother similar to an employee who gets
another boss? Use your own words. (paragraph 3)
Answer : _______________________________________________________
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Name some of the responsibilities that make the job of a mother especially
stressful. (paragraph 4)
Answer : _______________________________________________________
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What’s the Most Stressful Job in the World? / 5
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What reason is given for motherhood stress? Why does the author believe this is
stressful? (paragraph 5)
Answer: _________________________________________________________
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What does the example of the young mother (mentioned in paragraph 7) illustrate?
Answer: _________________________________________________________
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According to paragraph 8, why are planning and organization often useless for a
mother?
Answer: _________________________________________________________
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Paragraphs 9 and 10 suggest that all mothers need more
a. common sense
b. serenity of spirit
c. selfishness
d. positive reinforcement
According to paragraph 11, society treats mothers in a contradictory way.
Explain.
Answer : _______________________________________________________
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According to paragraph 12, what does the issue of pay checks for full-time
mothers imply about the norms of our society?
Answer : _______________________________________________________
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According to the entire article, list 8 factors which contribute to motherhood stress.
a. _____________________________________________________________
b. _____________________________________________________________
c. _____________________________________________________________
d. _____________________________________________________________
e. _____________________________________________________________
f. _____________________________________________________________
g. _____________________________________________________________
h. _____________________________________________________________
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