• Mon, Jan 21 - 12:15 pm ET

As A Working Mom, I Cannot Help But Be Annoyed By MLK Day

no schoolWinter break is barely over. This working mom finally has the house cleaned up from two weeks of stir crazy children and a boatload of new toys. And then MLK Day comes and gives students everywhere a three-day weekend. Working parents were just getting back into our routine, so we can’t help but approach this day with a little trepidation.

It’s not that we don’t love and respect Martin Luther King, Jr. or his legacy. Of course we do. We believe that he deserves our remembrance and thought on this very special day. It would really nice if we could spend the day educating our kids about his life and his mission, talking about how we plan to make our a difference in our own communities. Unfortunately, mid-January is not exactly prime day-off territory.

A day off from school for kids means a lot of work for parents. And it’s a tad frustrating to have to do this mere weeks after the holidays. Let’s not even talk about all the late days due to 2-hour delays or unexpected snow days we’re trying to get through. Plenty of moms are half-heartedly attempting to work from home, praying for easy ways to keep the kids busy and out of their hair during a 45-minute conference call that just couldn’t be rescheduled.

I’m sorry to say that President Obama‘s second inauguration ins’t helping those parents out. Every television channel is covering the event. And for reasons that I cannot comprehend, children are not interested in hearing Bob Schieffer reminisce about the Reagan inaugurations.

I feel pretty guilty over my annoyance with a day dedicated to a truly remarkable man. But as I accidentally woke up my daughter at seven a.m. because I forgot she didn’t have anywhere to be today, I have to admit that I cursed this random Monday off. I rolled my eyes at the fact that only bankers, mail carriers and teachers were going to enjoy what is supposed to be a national holiday. The rest of us are going to be hustling to the daycare center, trying to work with a child hiding under our office desks, or praying that our Skyped meeting can’t see or hear the craziness of our house.

Veteran’s Day. MLK Day. President’s Day. They’re all days dedicated to good and important people. They’re all holidays that we should respect and honor. And they’re filled with a lot of moral conflict for a working mom who cannot help but get annoyed when her kids have time off and she’s stuck in the office.

So today, for all of you parents who are popping in movies, throwing together peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and bribing their children’s good behavior for just a few minutes of concentration, we feel your pain. We’re with you. For all of you sitting at work, praying that your middle-schooler was really old enough to stay home alone without burning the house down, we’ll send good, safe vibes your way.

We know, MLK Day isn’t exactly a ‘holiday’ for working moms.

(Photo: Becky Stares/Shutterstock)

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Related Topics: Work Life Balance • • •
  • CrazyFor Kate

    Yes, because the legacy of a great civil rights leader who helped improve the lives of millions, and the inauguration of the country’s leader are all about the mommiez. Who cares about commemorating important events – it inconveniences parents! Honestly, this piece is really entitled.

    • Lawcat

      Seriously. What does she do on Spring Break? Or snow days?

      Oh noooooo there’s NEWS on the main networks! My kids only like cartoons. Why can’t they make a cartoon about the inauguration so THE CHILDREN will like it?

      I absolutely cannot change the channel or – I don’t know – put in a DVD! Stop inconviencing me because I’m a mom.

      I don’t want to use my vacation days in January. Or when it’s raining out. Or when there isn’t a minimum 12 hours of daylight. Employers should really offer parents extra vacation days so they can take time off on days they really don’t want to. Paid, of course. Vacation time is supposed to be for F-U-N, not taking care of your obligations.

  • Guest

    Di

  • Tiffany Acuff

    “It’s not that we don’t love and respect Martin Luther King, Jr. or his legacy. Of course we do. We believe that he deserves our remembrance and thought on this very special day. It would really nice if we could spend the day educating our kids about his life and his mission, talking about how we plan to make our a difference in our own communities. Unfortunately, mid-January is not exactly prime day-off territory.”

    I cringed while reading this entire article.

    Why Can’t you use the day educating your child And yourself?

    At least Have a conversation about MLK and our President’s Second Inauguration and the historical significance of each!
    I’m not saying organize a parade (kudos if you do) – but to act as if meaningful conversation is not possible is Wrong. And so I feel that this article Is disrespectful, despite your small disclaimer.

  • CJF

    Did MLK Day just get Mommyjacked??

    • Katia

      LOL,
      Best comment here in a long time!

  • http://twitter.com/bossmomonline Portia Mount

    Lindsay, I am a big fan of your writing but this post is a miss for me. Maybe you meant it to be more tongue in cheek than it came off and we your readers just don’t have a sense of humor. I too am a working mom and I can understand the hassle factor of yet another day off. But let me tell you as an African-American mom with a three-year old son, watching the country’s first black president get sworn in for a SECOND term on MLK day was beyond moving and reminded me of how far this country has come. Fact is, my parents grew up with segregation and my grandparents lived under Jim Crow laws in Oklahoma and Alabama, had it not been for Dr. King and the many, many Americans (black and white) who gave their lives, I might be working as a maid rather than as a marketing executive leading a relatively good life. Every MLK day we give thanks for the leaders and prophets who forced this country to abandon its segregationist practices to ensure that all Americans had a fair shot at the American dream. So, I for one am okay with this “random holiday off” because the significance far outweighs any inconvenience to me.

    • Andrea

      I posted a cheesy status on FB today: “I can’t help but think that America, you’ve come a long way baby”. But it is true!

  • Katia

    You need Netflix! Or get out the crafting box

  • meghan

    Deal with it.

  • chelly

    I feel you. Since being off for Winter break my kid already had a 4 day weekend and now a 3 day weekend. Then in March he will have off the Friday before spring break, spring break, and then a 4 day weekend the week after spring break. it is getting silly.

    • http://twitter.com/bluebird179 bluebird179

      But seeing as you know well in advance about these, wouldn’t it seem that you can plan well in advance for these as well?

  • Allison

    Are you seriously complaining about the Martin Luther King Junior holiday on the day that the first black president is sworn in for second term in office? You should be ashamed of yourself. Additionally, you should go take a look at the privilege you have enjoyed all your life as a white person. Clearly, as the other commentors have mentioned, you are in need of an education. I am disappointed that Mommyish even posted this.

  • Jamie

    I am a teacher. I didn’t have today off, although my kids did. We had a staff development day.

  • Kristin

    You are an entitled brat yourself. I would suggest taking the time to explain to your kids what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves, what it means to believe in something so deeply you are willing to sacrifice your very life for it – or what it means to be treated as less than human in your own country. But I am guessing these lessons are lost on you so I will save my breathe. I won’t even start on the inane lines about today’s historic events.
    This is the most offensive post I’ve seen in a long time. Get a life. Clearly you have time to “mommyblog” – it couldn’t have been too much of an inconvenience.
    It must be nice to be a privileged narcissist in America today. Why not take your kids to visit children in foster care group homes or children spending the day in long term cancer facilties? Maybe they’ll discover the empathy you clearly lack.

    • Guest

      You hit the nail on the head. This post is offensive in that it is so flippant. Instead of educating a child about the day and its significance, she chose to blog about how it inconviences her. Talk about entitled.

      I don’t think you can help your spoiled daughter until you look in the mirror yourself.

  • Katie

    This is a joke right?
    A big, offensive, un-funny joke.
    You do realise that you are not the centre of the universe, don’t you?

  • Tinyfaeri

    …Every parent has a “STFU, Parents”-worthy moment now and again when you come across so oblivious to anything other than your child or your own small problems with/while raising your child that you look a bit…self-centered. The unfortunate thing about being a blogger is that your moment can come in the form of a blog post that hundreds (or more, depending on the traffic of the blog) of people read rather than a Facebook post that your friends, family and perhaps some middle school classmates read.
    This was kind of Lindsay’s STFU, Parents moment. Maybe we can all cut her some slack, because about one thing or another, I guarantee we have all been there, if only in our heads.

  • chickadee

    This is one of those posts that you’re supposed to type out and then delete before you hit “post.” No matter how annoying the child care situation is, you kind of had to know about it in advance since it’s on the school calendar that the school makes public and (from my memories of being the parent of elementary school-aged children) sends you umpty-million copies of. I always contacted a SAH friend and paid her to keep my daughters for me, since I knew I had to work.

    This sounds like something that belongs on STFU Parents.

    • http://twitter.com/bluebird179 bluebird179

      Not to mention, since it’s a national holiday, it’s on regular ol’ calendars as well. Plan ahead. You know your kid is going to get this holiday off every year.

  • http://twitter.com/DuchessCadbury The Right Honourable

    I work in the school system and didn’t have the day off. I went and did community service. But I’m so sorry MLK’s murder and subsequent holiday is impeding on your work schedule. You act as though MLK is a new holiday. Plan ahead. Get with some other parents and do a group thing.

  • Justme

    This sounds like one big STFU Parents post.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Goldie-Treasure/100001545308532 Goldie Treasure

    You come off like a huge whiny entitled douche. Get over yourself, the world does not revolve around you(Shocking!) or your crotch fruit.

  • http://www.facebook.com/helen.donovan.31 Helen Donovan

    Well, I think many here have pointed out the national holidays and political are intended to honor a person (MLK) or persons (veteran, employees) and not planned to enhance the lives of parents of small kids.

    Oh, and since you indicates that this is only a problem for mom maybe you could check with the dads who are working form home or taking their kids to work and get some tips.