Is it possible that she thought nobody would hire her knowing she was going to take maternity leave in a few months? Or that she would have to quit right away to stay home with baby so there was no point?
As far as what kind of work she did, it never said, but she did mention having a job once and that "it was ok." She may not have been that marketable having only worked once in her adult life.

I think because Karen had different ideas about working while pregnant was the issue here. She felt that she couldn't work while pregnant and then having to take care of the newborn child would take up too much of her time to work. What kind of work did she do anyway?

You are a teacher? Really?
Unlike you, the woman had been out of the workforce for a while. She had been home raising her THREE children. She had looked forward to finally getting out to work!
This part of what you have to say really grinds my gears!
Reminds me of a line from the book Daughters of Eve, the art teacher Mrs. Stark tells the girls in the club that when women enter the workforce after being housewives and stay-at-home moms for 20 years because they suddenly have to, employers are not going to excuse their years of inexperience, that was written in 1979 but for the most part I think it still holds true today. Actually people seem to have gotten more anal about why people don't/can't work, women especially.

You are a teacher? Really?
Unlike you, the woman had been out of the workforce for a while. She had been home raising her THREE children. She had looked forward to finally getting out to work!
This part of what you have to say really grinds my gears!
Not every woman gets the luxury of being stay at home moms, but that line was just out of line.
THAT is the line that I absolutely HATE!
As a parent you ought to know that staying home to raise your children and run a house is hard work. The only "luxury" in it now days is if you and your family can afford it. Most can't. Some have to work one or two outside jobs and still maintain the home and try to be the parent that you teachers expect us to be!
I'm 60 now, but I've been there and I have done that. I worked just as hard at home as I did when I worked outside the home. I was lucky to have a husband who helped when I worked.
I only hope and pray that my children didn't have teachers with your attitude.
You started this tread. Where are you now?
"Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night"

Actually, preschool is really good for children, particularly in terms of social development. That's why there are programs like Headstart. And kids aren't typically in daycare any longer than they will be in school once they reach elementary school, so by your logic, all children are being raised by strangers and the time parents spend at home on evenings and weekends doesn't count.

I don't think it's fair to say that a woman who doesn't stay at home with the kids is having strangers raise her kids.
Fair, maybe not, but there is some truth to that. What's the youngest age a daycare takes kids? A few months maybe? They stay there half a day or maybe all day, maybe part of the night, every weekday day for how long? For a lot of kids, until preschool, and from preschool into K-12, where they spend more hours at school than at home so yes they are essentially being raised by strangers. It's not politically correct but that doesn't mean it's incorrect, is this every family? No it's not, is it every family with a working mom? No, but unfortunately that is reality for many parents, they have kids and then suddenly they don't have time TO have them, people work longer hours, schools keep kids more hours of the day, the whole thing has the air of some great conspiracy about it. Of course people have said for years that the home environment is damaging to children, parents can't really be trusted with their own kids, hell, Bradbury predicted that back in 1953, "The home environment can undo a lot you try to do at school. That's why we've lowered the kindergarten age year after year until now we're almost snatching them from the cradle." And enter daycare where your child can start attending before they're even a year old.

I have a ton of respect for moms, regardless of whether they have a job other than the job of mom. I don't think it's fair to say that a woman who doesn't stay at home with the kids is having strangers raise her kids. Both of my parents worked, but they still definitely raised me, not someone else. I just went somewhere for aftercare after school for a few hours until I was old enough to be home alone or with just my grandfather.

Did you go out to find work while you were pregnant? Not many will want to hire a pregnant woman knowing she will have to go have the kid. It also sounds like she is a stay at home mom where you are ok with allowing strangers to raise your kid.

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It's a luxury in the sense that most people can't live comfortably with 1 parent at home.

Yea I hate when people think that stay at home Mom's are living the life of luxury. Yes, it is great not having to be at a job all day, then come home to do the same stuff as a SAHM, but as a person that has done both I can safely say that being at home is like a never ending job. Not because of the kids, but keeping the house up, cooking meals, making time for your kids other than watching you clean and running errands can really test your sanity when you do the same thing every day.

Being a stay at home Mom is luxurious? Well that's the dumbest statement on IMDB. Congratulations on the Dunce Cap Award!

This movie was also made over 25 years ago. More women stayed at home then when pregnant.

I did not take it the way you did. For one thing, she did not say "can't work because I'm pregnant." She was talking about how having another child, when they thought they were done, was messing up her plans. The youngest was going to be in school in the fall, so she could go back to work - permanently. "Now I can't."
You must be the change you seek in the world. Gandhi

I feel your pain on this, but I think what she meant was that no one would hire her if they knew she was pregnant at the get-go. If she already had a job, it would be different and she would be able to get maternity leave. I'm not so sure she could get hired right away if they knew she would be leaving in 9 months for at least 6 weeks. But that's my opinion. Love this movie so much.