I don't have kids. I work full time when I can get the hours. I would classify myself as the working poor.

I have a co-worker who is the mother of two kids, ages 5 and 7. She works a regular schedule that gives her weekends off and she never has to be to work before 7am.

I on the other hand, have to be clocked in by two a.m. because work needs to be done before we open. I am responsible for the heavy lifting. That's what I call it, the dirty grunt work.

So the other day boss man walks by and says, "Hey pbev, how are you?" I tell him I am tired. He replies, "All of us are tired". I say that is not true. I would like to come in later or at least sleep in until four, like when I was first hired. "Why can't Yolanda come in earlier and help out with the heavy lifting?"

"Well. She has child issues."

Tell me, seriously, why does she get the cushy hours & I get the shitty hours just because I don't have kids? Often on the perticularly hard days she'll convieniently get a phone call and have to leave, because one of her kids is sick. Screw me.

Dear EJ,

When women start behaving like serious workers and stop using their kids as an excuse to get out of doing hard work or to wring special privileges from their companies, maybe they'll be taken given a fair shake economically.

I love Yolanda but she has no work pride, she's lazy, unreliable and I am the one being punished for it.

My mom worked hard to support six of us. She made $2.50 an hour to begin with and went to night school to make a better life for us. Motherhood can be a great motivator or it can be a curse - depends on the woman.

Thanks for the informative article. I look forward to reading more of your stuff.

Happy Mother's Day.

Pbev