Mommy Track

A mommy track is the expected life path of women as mothers which is characterized by putting a career on hold or having flexible hours at work. This term was introduced by Jennifer Kingson in 1988 with her article which featured law firm associates who prioritized their children over career advancement. Studies have shown that women’s earnings tend to decrease or plateau after having children since they spend less time in the workplace.

For example, Anne, a female writer had been focusing on her career for 5 years. She had been busy meeting clients from morning ‘til evening. Her schedule had been packed with social events in promoting her novels. However, everything changed after Anne gave birth. She was only able to get out of the house for certain hours and she could not write as much. After turning down several offers, her career declined and most of her hours are now devoted to caring for her child as she is in the "mommy track."